Not Always As Things Seem
by The Universal Storyteller
Summary: It's often said that things aren't always as they seem.  This story will investigate the chances that might somehow actually be true for certain LH canon characters, at least.  Expect a highly AU story here, where and when possible, people!  TUS out!
1. Chapter 000:  Prologue

This particular story is potentially going to be quite Alternate Universe in its nature, so please take that fact in mind here before you comment here, people, okay? Try to see if you can guess the intended primary pairing that will be in question here, as the story actually develops, everyone. It might not be who you might actually expect it to be, in truth, but we'll see, just the same. As for the way that a certain character in this Prologue talks, her presented manner of speaking is that way deliberately, for reasons that will be revealed later, as necessary and as appropriate, in fact.

As is quite obviously required here and now, per now-established global copyright law, I must therefore state, in some sort of disclaimer, people, "All known characters, settings, et cetera, that are not obviously of my own creation are the property, et cetera, of their respective owners and/or creators, et cetera. As such, I will not claim them as my own here, of course. For instance, _Love Hina_, and the known settings and/or known characters presented in its related forms do not belong to me, and I most likely never will own them all by myself. However, any original characters and/or settings, et cetera, that I might create and use in this story are most definitely mine, and I certainly will not tolerate their theft and/or use in other people's work without my permission contrary to their past, present, and/or future established facts and circumstances in this story and/or related ones to it, quite obviously enough." So please remember that, for I really don't want to have to get after any of you for claiming my work as your own, you see.

Until later, then, I'll close this introduction, and hope that each of you come to greatly enjoy this particular story and/or any potential sequels, prequels, or side stories to it, you know. With no further ado, then, people, this is The Universal Storyteller signing off!

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Prologue

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The day of THE PROMISE:

* * *

Several children of assorted ages were playing in a particular playground in Hinata City sometime in June 1975 under the quite watchful eyes of several other people there, among them being Hina and Haruka Urashima, to name just two of them. As they and many others were then watching all those children playing in that playground, a cloaked and masked woman approached Hina and Haruka from another part of that playground. That so-attired woman was then armed with a sword on her left hip under her mostly black cloak. And its outline was sufficiently hidden from view as she then approached both of the two aforementioned ladies.

When Hina and Haruka eventually saw that woman approaching them, without a doubt, well enough here and now, they soon asked, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"I am a warrior bound to seek justice for those who are mistreated and unjustly accused of supposed crimes and offenses, Hina-tachi. I seek out numerous foolish cowards who quite often execute unjust mistreatments, punishments, and penalties against the innocent and the weak and the otherwise undefended souls in this Universe. I am here to inform you that there will eventually come into your lives certain people who very likely will unjustly use such hopeless people in their lives as often and as cruelly as they possibly can. There is one particular young girl here in this exact playground who is quite right indeed for one of the latter sort of people. But there still will be much heated and much unwarranted opposition to such an idea, among the former people. If things ultimately do go a certain way, though, her future will be filled with much bloodshed, without a doubt, often shed by her very own hands. I am her perhaps far-future self, in truth. I therefore have come here to attempt to prevent that very same kind of disastrous future from ever happening somehow for her to the best of my ability."

Hina said, "And you believe you can actually prevent that from happening somehow, I take it, if I'm understanding you well enough here and now, Cloak-san."

The masked and cloaked woman said, "I do not know for a definite fact whether I will be able to do that just yet as best as I can, Hina-sama. But I will still do whatever I possibly can do here in order to do so, just the same, if you actually do allow me to try to somehow do just that. My beloved husband said just before I came here that my attempt might fail, and fail quite abysmally, but that I must still attempt to prevent that from happening, for the good of all involved."

Haruka, the roughly 12-year-old brown-haired girl now standing next to Hina, soon said, "I don't understand, Cloak-san."

"The soul in danger who the protector will seek to protect in the future against those who would vilely use them is your cousin Keitaro, Haruka-san. I know your name quite well in my life from much personal experience with your own future self, in fact, so do not be surprised about how I know your name very well indeed here. And your still youthful-looking grandmother here is the quite well-known Hina Urashima of the Urashima Group, a major business conglomeration, for that matter. In my time, however, she is still touring the world often seeking out hot springs if and whenever she possibly can do just that in her life."

Hina thought about what the cloaked woman said for a little while, and then said, "Where are those who would vilely mistreat him, and use him so, then, Cloak-san? Show me who they are, if you please, then."

"Very well, Hina-sama. Please follow me here, if you please, then." The masked and cloaked woman soon led the way to the appropriate area of the playground in which several young children were then playing. Several babies and/or young girls were now playing in and around a sandbox or two, and among those young children were two children attempting to make a sand castle of some sort to the best of their mutual ability here and now. One, of course, was a boy, with dark hair, and the other was a dark-haired girl wearing a striped shirt under a pair of what appeared to be overalls at the present time. Near them were two other brown-haired girls, with one of them perhaps being a toddler, at best. Another nearby toddler mostly in red and white was near them, and she was being watched by someone who appeared to be a considerably older sister of hers in similar attire. And a third toddler had light blonde hair that almost looked silvery, perhaps, as she now wore a mostly purple and tan outfit here and now.

The cloaked woman soon picked up the girl nearest the boy, and studied her quite intensely for at least a little bit here and now, before a still-young woman suddenly saw them holding that girl and started to head their way. She noticed that woman out of the corner of her eye, and said, simply, without turning to face the woman in question, "Fog of Memory, make the woman heading my way now forget she ever saw me once and for all, by God's Holy Light. She definitely must not be allowed to somehow interfere with what must likely happen here, without a doubt, or many disasters untold will certainly result! Make her forever come to remember this particular day differently for the good of all on the side of Light, at least!"

The woman who had just been heading their way then returned to where she'd been before Cloak-san began to speak words of forgetting in her direction just now. And she remained there for quite a while afterward, as would perhaps come to eventually be known later.

Once that woman was back where she'd been sitting before she got up to see what was going on between Cloak-san and the others then with her, Cloak-san said, while looking even more closely at the girl in her arms, "You are the one who will most often try to defend those who need defending, without a doubt. However, much bloodshed is in your future, if things go for you enough as they did for me in my life, for sure. That is a life that must be avoided as best as possible, if at all possible, or you will be me in your future, and in my past and present."

"I don't understand, Cloak-san," said Hina.

"Hina-sama, this particular young girl, if her future develops enough like my past did in my own life, ultimately will kill multiple people in a very fierce defense of the one she truly loves within the next fifteen to twenty years or so, at most, if not sooner, without a doubt. And that is most definitely a future no child truly ever deserves to have needlessly in their own mortal life, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all, somehow. This particular girl is about to make a life-altering promise with Keitaro that will help define your grandson's life for a very long time, if not forever. I must therefore attempt to prevent my past self from somehow ever actually becoming me, a woman who is now often a very cold-blooded killer. I killed other people for the very first time when I was nearly 25 years old, if my own memory serves me well enough here and now, after my one true love was quite cruelly attacked by the ones I eventually killed. Almost immediately after that, I then fled with him and a number of others elsewhere, and have been on the run ever since, from many people, all over the world. I have actually killed many other people ever since that time. And I am greatly hating the life that my husband, my children, and I now have to live as a result of my very first kills. I am now 30-something, more or less. And I quite often find myself wishing that many people's lives had developed quite differently from the ways that each of them had ultimately developed in this Universe of ours." She soon set the young girl back down, before suddenly picking Keitaro up and then starting to study him quite intensely as well here and now.

"This young boy ultimately grew up to be my one true love, though we both did not actually know it for quite some time after this day. Do you see the four girls directly behind me here and now, Hina-sama?"

"Which girls do you mean, exactly, Cloak-san?" asked Hina.

Cloak-san soon indicated the two brunettes and two other toddlers near all three of them here and now. She soon said, "The one in the faded green-striped outfit is from Okinawa, and her name is Mutsumi Otohime. You both will, however, forget her name and several other names for at least a little while here, if my attempt at changing history works well enough, I guarantee, Hina-sama. The girl next to her in a very similar outfit to the girl that I just held is Naru Narusegawa. Near her, and obviously being watched by her older sister here and now, is Motoko Aoyama. And somewhere somewhat near Naru is another girl by the name of Mitsune Konno, but in a yet-future time, you may quite often indeed refer to her as Kitsune, for reasons that will become quite evident later. Haruka-san, the young woman who is now watching Motoko is her older sister Tsuruko. You both quite will often encounter each other in the future, I am quite sure. Also, I would respectfully request that you very seriously consider not ever smoking and/or not ever drinking in the future. Even if a rather handsome guy might perhaps have already gotten you interested in such crazy things in your own mortal life. Believe me, it is really not all that fun potentially having to live without your own natural lungs. You were at my side, as were at least a few others, when I first killed anyone. And you had to eventually have a double-lung transplant not long after I first killed others in my life, due to what happened when things ultimately blew up and a battle royale resulted then where they finally did. I too am not entirely organic in my own life, in the interest of full disclosure. I have periodically lost some of my own natural parts due to my battles since my very first kills, due to the greatly-unwanted life that I have had to lead ever since then in this Universe of ours. Including both of my own natural lungs, by the way."

"Are these all the girls who will potentially cause trouble for him in the future?" asked Haruka.

"No, there are at least two other girls, but they are not yet born, if my memory serves me well enough here and now. I did not actually come to kill them, but I did still kill three of the young girls near Keitaro here, many years from this day in time, at a time I am not going to reveal the exact date to you or to Hina-sama, Haruka-san. I will still say, however, that from this time, within the next twenty or so years, at most, if not sooner, three of these girls will most certainly be dead, if the promised girl's future is enough like my past, she will become me, ultimately."

"Why are you cloaked and masked, if you don't mind me asking, Cloak-san?" asked Haruka.

"Because I am here trying to prevent many enemies from knowing who I am and where I am now in the Universe's known histories. I and many others with me now have numerous enemies who would not like us to be able to do what we now must in our lives. And I barely escaped from many of them in the process of coming here. If they somehow come to know that I am here, or that I was here, they then will seek me and/or those with me, and perhaps attempt to hold them hostage or kill them in order to try to get me to then do whatever they might then want me to do in my life. So I must remain masked and cloaked to the best of my ability here and now, you see, Haruka-san."

Cloak-san soon set down Keitaro back where he had been before being picked up. But not before she said, "So young, and so innocent, my dear love. I wish we had not been parted not long from now for many years. But we were, it seems. May you ultimately achieve the dreams that you will eventually have in your life, and may you find the one that you were meant to be with again someday yet in the future, once you are parted from each other not long from now."

Moments later, THE PROMISE was made that would considerably define Keitaro's future for a very long time, if not forever. Both Keitaro and the yet-unidentified girl made that promise with each other, and did so quite willingly indeed, in fact. [AN: Of course, you all know what the Promise is now, if you've read the manga or watched the anime enough, people.]

A few more minutes later, several people collected several of the other children near Keitaro and the yet-unidentified girl, and left the playground in very short order, until only about a dozen or so people were still left in it quite well enough. Among them being Hina, Haruka, Cloak-san, at least two children, and at least one parent, if not more than one, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

Once the playground had cleared out enough, as necessary, Cloak-san then had Hina and Haruka sit in the sandbox near Keitaro and the still-unknown girl. They complied, not yet knowing why she wanted them to do that here. When they did, Cloak-san then stood near Keitaro and the girl, and proceeded to reach into her cloak, as needed and as appropriate, and to unbuckle the belt from which a sword in a scabbard then hung, with her right hand. From within the folds of her cloak, she then pulled out that belt with the sword-containing scabbard still attached.

Then she removed the scabbard from the aforementioned belt, and handed it to Hina and Haruka, with the soon-to-be open end facing Hina, as she held it above both young children still in the sandbox here. Next, she took out a thick book from another place under her cloak, and soon set it on the edge of the sandbox. A few moments later, she had it opened to a certain page, and then said, "Hina-sama, I must now withdraw this sword, it seems, and mark both of them multiple times with the sign of true love, in the very fervent hope that it somehow will alter the future sufficiently to keep her future from ultimately developing exactly as my past ultimately did for me. I must, unfortunately, draw at least some blood, from each of them to do so, much to my regret."

"Why must you do so?" asked Hina, as Cloak-san suddenly called forth a misty fog somehow out of thin air, so to speak, without any prior warning at all here and now.

"Because if I do not do just that, her future will most definitely be exactly like my past was, I am quite sure, Hina-sama. And then we all might have to meet again like this in this place in order to try still another way to keep that from happening somehow, I feel, for some yet-unknown reason to me here and now. It is unfortunately quite unavoidable here and now. But only through the blood of innocents might I be able to protect these innocent ones and/or many others from a disastrous future for them in each of their respective lives. I have rarely attempted this particular kind of thing, in the interest of full disclosure. And I am not always successful in my attempts whenever I make them with certain people. But still, I must most definitely attempt to protect them both, at least, if not others as well. Also what I must do, in terms of my attempt to positively alter history here and now, may possibly still somehow adversely affect both of these innocent souls, just the same. Yet, you two, I must do what I can to protect them both to the best of my ability, in truth."

"What must we do, then, Cloak-san?" asked Haruka.

"Hina-tachi, I will have to first mark Keitaro. Then I will have to mark this girl. You must do exactly as I say, or what I do may not work exactly as it will need to do, it seems. Do either of you have any blindfolds, by any chance?"

Hina thought for a moment, and then said, "I do, as a matter of fact, Cloak-san."

"Then blindfold them both, in very short order. They must be blindfolded while I do what I must do to the best of my ability here. Hina-sama, you must blindfold Keitaro. Haruka-san, you must blindfold the girl."

Five minutes later, at most, both children were blindfolded. Not only that, but both of them had their respective shirts up around their necks, and the girl's overalls were down to her waist, for that matter. When Cloak-san saw that well enough here and now, then, she suddenly withdrew her sword, and had Hina hold Keitaro very still and very quiet, so that she might be able to mark him as needed, where needed, on his torso, at least. She studied Keitaro's skin for his torso, hands, and forehead for a little while, before she said, "Keitaro, do not hate me for this, if you somehow remember me and this day well enough, but I do this now in hopes that you will live the life that you are meant to live, and not the life that I know you have lived for as long as I know of in my own life. Hold still, say and do nothing, and forget me, if you can, once I do this. Do not fear my blade, for it is a blade meant to protect those who need protecting in this Universe of ours, from its creation to its potential future destruction. Know that you are loved, though, if you must somehow ever remember this day!"

Keitaro listened quietly to Cloak-san, and thought briefly after she had just spoken to him here, before finally saying, "Do what you feel you must, then, Cloak-san. I do not know you, but I still somehow know that you truly mean me no unnecessary harm in your own life. As you wish, so shall I do, as sure as I am Keitaro Urashima."

"Very well, then, prepare yourself, and please close your eyes. Sleep, then, and forget who I am, if at all possible, Keitaro, until the proper time comes for you to fully remember this day, if it ever does, in your own life, if not the lives of any others as well." Cloak-san then quietly sung him to sleep here, before he relaxed well enough in Hina's arms here and now. When he was sufficiently asleep, then, Cloak-san suddenly sketched a canopy of flowers in the air somehow, and made the canopy surround them all as they remained in or around the sandbox now in question here. With that done, Cloak-san then began touching Keitaro's skin with her sword, forming certain marks on it as necessary, starting with the skin on his chest and abdomen. This continued for several minutes, before Cloak-san said, "Springs of Physical Near-Immortality, shower this young boy with your waters of healing, through the flowers that surround you, and protect him as best as you can from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune!" The flowers around them all soon let loose and sprayed their naturally-occurring liquid salves all over Keitaro's then-exposed skin. And those very same salves quite quickly made all the now-showing marks that Cloak-san had just made on it totally vanish somehow, much to Hina and Haruka's great surprise, of course.

Once they had all disappeared well enough to sufficiently satisfy Cloak-san here and now, she said, "Now I must do the same for this young girl, with the appropriate modifications where necessary, of course, Haruka-san. You must do exactly what Hina-sama just did with Keitaro moments ago, in fact. Otherwise, I may not be able to protect her as well as she might need to be protected here, of course. And that is something none of us truly need in our respective lives, for sure."

Haruka soon had the young girl just as Cloak-san required her to have her, when necessary and as appropriate here. Cloak-san then spent a little while leaving the necessary marks on that girl's own skin as well, before finally saying, "Sands of Time, please slow this young soul's physical maturation processes down, but not her mental processes, so that she might hopefully have a happier life and perhaps avoid the mistakes and tragedies that many have had to deal with in their lives, if you so choose! I ask you this, here and now, in the name of God's Holy Light, the Prince of Peace, now and for all time yet to come!" As she said these words, then, the flowers then around everyone then sprayed a countless number of sand-like particles of some sort all over the young girl's still-exposed skin. And most especially over all the marks that Cloak-san had made on it anywhere, for that matter, here and now.

Several moments later, the aforementioned marks had completely vanished from everyone's view here, as needed and as appropriate, of course. Once they were, Cloak-san said, "Hina-sama, I have now hopefully made it much more likely that she will mature physically slower than most others might in her life, just so long as she does not find herself in a too-volatile situation for herself or those sufficiently close to her in her own life. It now remains to be seen sufficiently well indeed whether or not my just-made attempt to change her future for the better was successful or not, quite obviously enough, for sure. If it was, then you will not see me again as I am now, either in this time or in the future. If it wasn't, then you may possibly see me yet again in this particular time and place, somehow."

Hina thought about what Cloak-san had just said here for quite a while, and eventually asked, "And what of us both, who have now witnessed what you have done in an attempt to protect them both, at least, if not others as well, then?"

"I must block each of your own respective memories of this day as well for some time, if not permanently. And do so here and now to the very best of my own ability, for reasons I am not at sufficient liberty to discuss with you at this particular time, if I ever will be, Hina-tachi. You must not be left susceptible to my and my people's enemies, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all somehow in this Universe of ours. Either of you, in fact. So I must therefore attempt to block your respective memories of this day as best as I can, then, as much as I might wish that I didn't actually have to do just that here and now."

Fifteen minutes later, at most, then, Cloak-san had done what she actually had to do at that time with both Haruka and Hina Urashima. After that was done well enough to suit her sufficiently well here and now, she soon vacated the area of the playground now in question for the Hinata City local area, for that matter, before eventually entering a deserted alley somewhere else entirely in the Hinata City local area. She was not seen again in the Hinata City local area again for a very long time, without any doubt to a sufficient enough degree, if ever again in it as she now was, most likely.

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This prologue had a lot of long sentences, but such was required here, for the purposes of this story, at least for the prologue. It remains to be seen just how long it will be, and how often it will be, between appearances of Cloak-san, in this particular story of mine here, you see. She may or may not appear often, but the story will ultimately still dictate that as the need then arises for it to do just that somehow, for sure. Will she be a friend or foe to many in the Hinata City local area in the future or not? Only time will tell, of course, people, and you'll just have to wait and see, just like I will, quite naturally enough. And if she is a friend to several, will she perhaps help many find love with others in their lives, whether their true loves prove to be Keitaro or not? What will be the case for any or all of them is not yet clear to me, for your information, everyone. Until later, then, this is The Universal Storyteller now signing off until next time, quite obviously enough!


	2. Chapter 001:  Modern Challenges

This chapter will have much in it, and not all of it will necessarily follow the canonical storyline and/or timeline for _Love Hina_, at least, if not also for any other series, for instance, of any possible kind or kinds whatsoever. But I still really do hope that you all will largely enjoy it, just the same. And many, if not all, of the changes made so far to the applicable timeline(s), et cetera, for that matter.

For those of you who have recently been reading _The One You Miss Most_, at least, from me, the events of this particular story and/or any potentially related ones to it may or may not fully match and/or affect in any way whatsoever the ones in it or any potentially related series to it, just for your information. So please regard the events of this story and any other potential related stories to it as sufficiently separate from those of the other similar story or stories, at least, unless I say otherwise in the future, everyone. Or from those of any of my other fictional works, for that matter, come to think of it.

To the reviewer who thought either Motoko or Mutsumi was the unidentified girl and/or the mystery woman, I must say, "No, neither of them are. Please read the Prologue again. You evidently missed the obvious clues that I gave earlier, with the various then-identified children in and around at least one sandbox, if not more than one, in the applicable playground." Motoko and Mutsumi are NOT the mystery woman or the unidentified girl, in any case whatsoever, people. If they are both versions of a certain canonical character from _Love Hina_, whether actual or potential, then, there are only a few other known logical enough possibilities still left here. And none of them are necessarily blonde, for that matter. Two significant enough characters in later times are not even born yet, as well, at least.

I will say, however, that whoever will prove to be them will be challenged by any number of others in various ways, no matter what, just the same. I will not reveal the identity of either the mystery woman or the unidentified girl until much later in the story, if I can possibly avoid doing so, people, for sure. And until I know for sure just who it will be, in either case, without any remaining doubt at all, neither will any of you, unless I am somehow unable to keep you guessing well enough here for a long enough period of time, quite obviously enough, you know.

Well, then, with no further ado, I suppose I'd best release this first real chapter of this story to the rest of you people, so that you can all read it quite well enough here and now. I hope to see many quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews from you all for it and any chapters to this story, at least, if not others as well, of course, everyone. The more the better, most likely, for the obvious reasons. Until later, then, this is The Universal Storyteller signing off, with great hopes that you'll really enjoy this chapter a whole lot, in many, if not all, cases. See you again after the chapter ends, as well, then. TUS out.

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Chapter One

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About Fifteen or so years later:

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A young man by the name of Keitaro Urashima, who was just about a year or so out of high school approached the Hinata Apartments moderately late in the morning of Saturday, September 1, 1990, in search of Hina Urashima, his grandmother. He soon entered the main building for them, and was ultimately quite unsuccessful in that hunt for her, as he eventually would come to learn. In the meantime, though, he discovered that the grounds for the Hinata Apartments actually had an open-air hot springs area. So he eventually decided to take a moderately short dip in them, before resuming his hunt for her on the Apartments' grounds. Yet, while he was still doing so, all of a sudden, and rather unexpectedly, a young woman, in just a towel, at best, joined him in them without any warning whatsoever at all there and then. One thing soon quite inevitably led to another, of course, for the obvious reasons. And the young woman then in question here quite quickly freaked where they both were now. She was followed quite soon afterward into the state of freaking out on the Apartments' grounds by several other young women or girls. A chase soon ensued, and it eventually forced him to a certain deck on the roof of the Apartments.

Fortunately for him, perhaps, the young man's cousin Haruka, who was now roughly 27 years old in her life, quickly came upon the tumult related to the chase just ended here. And Keitaro soon clung to her for a little while, in hopes that she would protect him from the wrath of two or three of the young women who had just been chasing him up to the roof, if not more than just two or three of them.

A heated discussion soon followed between all necessary parties to the current situation, quite naturally enough. The first young woman who he'd encountered most strenuously objected among the then-assembled young women and/or girls, but was soon forced to back down, in light of his current circumstances in his own life. Seeing as there was no sufficiently apparent way to go against them well enough at the current time, at least, she and others eventually decided to let him spend at least a little time at the Hinata Apartments, in the hope that if and when his grandma eventually returned to them for a long enough period of time, he would then have to leave them behind again. The young woman's name was Naru Narusegawa, in fact. And the other four current primary residents of the Hinata Apartments at that time were Motoko Aoyama, Mitsune Konno, Kaolla Su, and Shinobu Maehara, for that matter.

But Hina did not return to them for quite some time afterward for good, as several young women and/or girls eventually came to learn. Instead, they came to learn, quite surprisingly indeed, that she had decided to make Keitaro the official manager of the Hinata Apartments, at least until her return, if not permanently. Naru and Motoko were most opposed to the idea, but the other three primary tenants outvoted them, so Keitaro stayed, much to Naru and Motoko's quite obvious dismay.

It took a while for them to get used to the idea of Keitaro being the manager of a girls-only dorm, but they eventually began to get used to it, as the weather began to get colder late in 1990 in the Hinata City local area. Naru and Motoko were still most against it, but they also realized that getting him to leave the Apartments permanently would most likely be harder than they originally thought it would have been weeks, if not months, before.

* * *

One evening in mid-December, Keitaro was going through his mail, and came upon a letter from Hina rather unexpectedly indeed. In it, she said that there might be a need for him to prepare several spare rooms for temporary tenants of the Apartments from overseas to use for a while. She didn't actually know for sure whether or not that would actually be the case later on. But she also told him to begin preparing spare rooms for at least one or two college-aged women, if not more than one, just in case it was the case later on.

As he finished reading that letter from Hina, and was about to set it down on the coffee table in front of him as he sat on the main couch in the living room, he then began doing at least some mental calculations of a sort for a brief time. While he was still doing so, Naru passed by, and asked, "What are you thinking of, Keitaro? Are you thinking of something improper, by any chance at all?"

"No, of course not, Naru! Whatever would give you that idea?"

"You seem to be thinking of something you shouldn't, that's all."

"Well, I'm not, so you can just move along and mind your own business, if you don't mind. I have much better things to do right now than to deal with your unproven insinuations, as a matter of fact, for your information."

"Such as make plans to perhaps prey on innocent women or girls, no doubt?"

"I am not that kind of man, contrary to what you might often think, Naru. Please leave me alone, for I'm actually thinking about things of quite considerable importance to the Apartments right now, in truth. Unless, of course, you really want to leave them behind for at least a while in very short order indeed, or to actually compensate me somehow for the five doors, windows, and/or walls that you've put me through in the last month. Not to mention the various clothes that your still-recent and still-frequent attacks on me over that time period have actually damaged and/or ruined, for that matter, come to think of it."

"And that's MY fault just how? Just because you can't often keep yourself from walking in on any or all of us, whenever we're actually bathing in the hot springs? Or even periodically falling onto any or all of us into potentially compromising positions, perhaps? You know that we all really don't like it when you do such things, I'm quite sure." Naru began to somewhat unconsciously ball up her right fist somewhere behind her back, out of his sight, in fact.

"What about whenever Kaolla kicks me in the head and knocks me into one of you, perhaps, Naru? Or when Mitsune removes the sign for the springs that says 'Man present, do NOT enter?' and you girls enter the springs not long after that? You think it's fair to punish me for something that's not my fault, in truth, Naru? I sure don't," he said, with a somewhat firm, yet somewhat questioning, stare at her face here and now.

"So what are you saying, Keitaro?" Naru's eyes started to burn, so to speak, when she said that, as a matter of fact.

"Granted, there are undoubtedly any number of times when I realistically and justly deserve you girls' righteous anger, of course. But I really don't deserve a lot of the treatment that you and Motoko and Kitsune quite often give me. Kaolla I can perhaps understand somewhat well, by the way, if I'm not too mistaken here, for she is still just a kid in her life, it seems to me. And Shinobu is a precious darling of a young girl, who's never mistreated me so far ever since I came here, for that matter, on purpose, Naru. I am not into chasing after young girls, either, by the way, just so you know. I'm no fool in that regard, at least. And don't even think of trying to send me flying right now. I see the look burning in your eyes now, come to think of it."

"I'm going to get you out of here somehow and someday, Keitaro, mark my words, if at all possible, once and for all. Don't ever forget that. You really don't belong here as the manager of a female-only dormitory, with you being a male and all, you see!"

"Well, my grandma left me in charge here, at least until she decides to run this place again, if she ever does. So I can make all the rules here about who can be here or not, within logical and lawful enough reason, at least, it now seems to me. And if I were actually to decide to evict you here for just cause, I could, if I'm not too mistaken here, Naru. It doesn't suit me to do so now. But that doesn't mean I can't ever somehow change my mind about doing so later, if the mood or need for me to do so ever arises, for sure."

"You wouldn't!"

"Don't push me, Naru, or I just might do exactly that. Maybe not yet, but eventually, just the same, for your information. Shinobu, would you please come here for a moment?"

Shinobu soon appeared in the doorway between the kitchen/dining area and the living room. "Do you need something, Senpai?"

"I would like you to get the books for the Apartments from their usual hiding place in my room, if you don't mind, and if it's not too much of a problem for you now, please, Shinobu-chan."

"All right, Senpai. Just let me secure what I'm working on now well enough, please, and then I'll bring them to you as quickly as I can."

"Take whatever time you need. Please send Motoko in here as well, for the time being, if she's in there with you now."

"As a matter of fact, she actually is. She came down for a bit of tea before supper, for she got a bit thirsty while working on some of her homework earlier."

"Good. Please send her in here, if you don't mind, then. And please have her bring some tea with her when she does, as well, if that's all right with her. I need a refill to my cup anyway."

"As you wish, Senpai. Is oolong tea all right with you, by any chance at all?"

"That's acceptable now, Shinobu. Oh, by the way, are there any more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches still in the refrigerator now, as well?"

"Yes, there are. But if you don't get them soon, our resident snarfer might gobble them up before anyone else has a chance to do so well enough, Senpai."

"I see. Please have Motoko bring in a few of them as well when she brings some tea in here. I still have a bunch of mail to look through, and a certain hothead is glaring angrily at me as we speak, in fact, because I won't tell her certain things that aren't really her business at the present time."

"Understood. I read you loud and clear, Senpai. Motoko-chan will be in there momentarily, once she finishes her current cup of tea, then."

"Thank you, Shinobu." Then he set down the letter from Hina, while still maintaining firm eye contact with Naru here, and picked up another piece of mail for him now. After Motoko entered with the requested tea and sandwiches, Keitaro quickly cleared a place for her to set them down on the table, before indicating that she should sit in a nearby chair for the time being.

"I am here as requested, Urashima. What seems to be the problem now?"

"Naru is upset with me for no reason, because I won't tell her what I'm actually thinking of at the present time, and because I also won't share personal correspondence with her at this time from Grandma Hina to me, for instance. Should it be any business of hers what my personal mail might or might not say, in truth, Motoko, or not, for instance?"

"No, I do not believe it should, unless the need for you to discuss it with her arises for any reason. Is there such a need at this time, Urashima?" Keitaro soon took a sip of tea from his now-refilled cup, before setting it back down in front of him here.

"Not in my judgement at present as the current official manager of these Apartments. If that changes, however, to a sufficient enough degree, of course honor will certainly require that I discuss such matters as may be present in my personal mail with my various tenants as then necessary and as then appropriate, you know, Motoko."

"Yes, it will, Urashima," said Motoko, as Keitaro quickly finished reading the letter that he'd picked up next after setting down his letter from Hina.

"Naru is seriously considering punishing me for my current reluctance to share my thoughts and my mail at this time. I have little time to waste now for her petty and childish behavior here. I was hoping that you could keep her from interfering in things that I must attend to here sufficiently well at the current time, you see. Hence your current presence here," said Keitaro, as he took a bite of one of the sandwiches then in front of him here, and picked up still another piece of mail for himself.

"I see. Very well, Urashima, I shall stay, and watch her, as you continue to go through your mail. One question, though, if I may?"

"Go ahead, Motoko."

"Why are you downstairs now, instead of in your room as you often are whenever you go through your mail, if I might ask, Urashima?"

"Because there is a show that I really would like to see on the television here, Motoko. And as you should very well know by now, I don't have a television in my room at present. That particular show is due to begin fairly soon, and I really don't want to miss it, if I can possibly avoid it, for any reason whatsoever."

"I see. Well, I see no reason at present why you should not be allowed to watch the show you just mentioned now. It is not an unsuitable show for anyone to watch here, is it?"

"No, it is suitable for all, I assure you. It is a show about many Wonders of the World, in fact, from all over the world. It will last an hour per episode, if I remember correctly enough here and now, Motoko. It premieres tonight, and will run for several weeks, it seems to me, on a cable channel from somewhere in the United States."

"How is that possible, if I might ask, Urashima? In terms of us being able to watch it, and understand it, at least, then?"

"Going over the books for this place last month, I saw that Grandma Hina had arranged for us to get more channels on our television than the standard ones through her business connections as a member of the Urashima Group, effective from three days ago. She requested, in a letter received sometime around that time, that I therefore see to the business of picking up the necessary equipment to allow such a thing to perhaps be the case sometime last week, once I got a good enough chance to do so well enough somehow. I therefore attended to it, per her instructions, while the rest of you were then out doing some Christmas shopping with each other earlier, in fact. While you ladies were all out and about, several workmen sent by the required cable company around here then came and set up all of the necessary equipment, and made it as Kaolla-proof as possible, of course. They all may have not made it totally Kaolla-proof, when they did so to the best of their respective abilities, for all of the obvious reasons. But they all still made it as Kaolla-proof as they possibly could, after I told them only what I absolutely needed to tell them about her here."

"I take it, then, that this will be her Christmas gift, or at least one of them, to us here in the Apartments, Urashima?" asked Motoko, as Naru still seethed, as Keitaro finished his current sandwich and took a sip of his tea, for that matter.

"Yes, that is so." Just then, a gentle series of taps on the back of his right shoulder let him know that Shinobu had arrived with the requested books for the Apartments well enough. Keitaro turned to see who had tapped him on his shoulder, and smiled, once the scents of cinnamon and honey reached his nose well enough here and now. "I see you brought the necessary books, Shinobu."

"Of course I did. Are you done, for the most part, at least, with your tea and sandwiches, Senpai?" asked Shinobu, somewhat quietly, in deference to him, at least.

"Pretty much, I am, Shinobu. How soon should supper be ready, then?"

"If Kaolla or Kitsune don't mess it up too much too soon, it should perhaps be ready by 7:30, at the very latest, I believe. And then we might all be able to eat it with each other by 8 at the latest, if that's true enough."

"That's great to hear, Shinobu. Naru, please help Shinobu carry these things back into the kitchen, if you don't mind. Then go take a soak in the hot springs before dinner. Motoko will join you shortly in the hot springs. Shinobu, as the chief cook and launderer here, I really would appreciate your help with these books, if you don't mind, just before supper. For much of what they normally have to deal with is in your normal territory here, so to speak. Motoko, please see that neither Kitsune nor Kaolla disturbs us while Shinobu and I are going over the books here. In fact, I really do want you, Naru, Kaolla, and Kitsune to all take some decently-long soaks in the hot springs until we then both call you all in for supper."

"No tricks, Urashima. Or you know what will happen, I'm quite sure by now."

"Agreed. Now please leave me shortly to finish reading my mail as needed before Shinobu and I go over the Apartments' books with each other, Motoko and Naru. Shinobu, I will wait for you here to return, once you have finished making up supper for tonight."

"Senpai, how many people should I set the table for tonight, then?"

"Eight. Two guests will be joining us later from Kyoto, because they have business in Tokyo, and they wanted to spend the night here before they conducted it there tomorrow."

"Tell me plainly, Urashima. Are they my sister and her husband?"

"You will have to wait and see, Motoko. I am sworn to secrecy at this time, on orders from Grandma Hina herself. And, yes, there most definitely will be one male as a guest tonight at our table, whoever he might prove to be. They are to be treated with full dignity and full honor, or else there will be the inevitable consequences. Not only from me, mind you, but from Grandma Hina herself. Do I make myself clear, quite clear?"

"Quite clear, Urashima," said Motoko, after at least a few moments of seriously studying his face for any potentially detectable signs of trickery, if not even longer than that. Yet, not a single one was then present on them here and now, in fact. So she reluctantly accepted his orders as necessary and as appropriate here and now. She didn't like it, of course, but seeing as Grandma Hina was involved in the matter, she knew it wouldn't be particularly wise to argue or fight the current situation in any way at all.

When Naru seemed to really want to press the upcoming issue here, Motoko quietly moved to her side, and then almost inaudibly whispered in her ear, so that both Keitaro and Shinobu wouldn't likely be able to somehow hear her doing so well enough, "This is not the proper time to act against Urashima, Naru. We must accept Grandma Hina's orders here, unfortunately, come what may. I like it as little as you do, but he is currently in charge here, because of her, so we must accede to her orders here. We will deal with him later, if and whenever possible, you know."

Naru reluctantly nodded, and then set off for the kitchen. Shinobu soon followed, but not before Keitaro said for their ears only, "I think something's cooking now, so to speak, in both of their heads. Please watch Naru quite carefully indeed as best as you can before she then goes to the springs with the others. Once they're all in the springs, and supper's ready, come here to me, and then we'll both go over the books with each other." Shinobu secretly acknowledged his words with a brief wink or two, fortunately out of the sight of the other two girls here, just before then following Naru into her kitchen, of course.

Motoko soon turned to leave for elsewhere in the Apartments, once Naru and Shinobu were out of sight enough at the current time, but Keitaro stopped her briefly, by saying, "Motoko, Grandma Hina sent me something in a metallic case of some yet-unknown sort to either she or me for you, and somehow thought you really should have it in the near future. I was thinking of waiting until Christmas to give it to you. But I now think it perhaps would be much better safeguarded, after at least some considerable thought about it, if I gave it to you tonight. It will require extremely careful handling and maintenance, for your information. It is very old indeed, and it must be especially well-protected against possible theft and/or misuse by certain individuals here, if at all possible. Grandma Hina and I can think of nobody better to see to that detail than you at the current time, in fact."

"Where is it, then, Urashima?" She stood near the door in which Shinobu had appeared earlier after Keitaro had called briefly for her then, as she asked that of Keitaro here and now.

"It is in Haruka's Tea House under quite-secure lock and key, not to mention a certain cousin presently guarding it with her life, or at least willing to do so, if the need were to arise for her to do so, in fact. The item in question is of unknown origin at present, but it seems to have several strange markings on it that seem to relate at least partly, if not entirely, to your Aoyama Clan, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons. Your sister is not suitable for safeguarding it, long-term, for she is no longer a virgin, as you should know by now. However, you are still a virgin, I know. Therefore, you are hereby selected to safeguard it, if you so agree to do so to the best of your ability, Motoko."

"And why can you not safeguard it yourself, long-term, Urashima?" A very questioning look then shot across her face as she asked him that.

"I am not female, but male. It is generally not compatible with most males enough to allow that to be true, unless they actually have certain medical or other kinds of conditions, whatever those might be, in their own mortal lives. And I have none of those required conditions myself at the current time, if I ever will. Which means, simply, that I can't safeguard it by myself long-term, evidently. If I tried, or if males without those conditions tried to do so for a long enough time, very serious situations could then arise for them and many others in their lives. Whether those others were male or not, that is."

"Why are you so of the mind that I might be the best protector of the item in question around here, Urashima?"

"Because from what Hina and I have both been able to make out well enough, the markings of your Clan seem to be the most identifiable present for the item in question here and now. There could possibly be certain other markings present on it as well. But we have not been able to make them out yet well enough, if we ever will be able to somehow. As your Clan's markings seem to be the most identifiable for that item, Grandma Hina and I have therefore come to the belief that you would most likely be the one who'd be able to best protect it from potential theft and/or misuse among those of us who are now living here at these Apartments, Motoko."

"I see," said Motoko, after a while. "What if I refuse to do what I can to protect it, then?"

"Then the matter of protection for the item would most likely fall to Naru or Kitsune, if I'm not too mistaken here. And I don't think I could reliably trust them with the care and protection of it, unfortunately, for they're too unfocused a lot of times mentally, it seems to me. You, however, are often very focused in such ways, so you'd probably be much better at protecting and caring for the item in question than they would. And neither Kaolla nor Shinobu are apparently yet mature enough to do so either here and now, whether it be maturity in a physical sense or a mental sense, at least, if not in any other senses as well."

"I see. So I am essentially your only option at this time, it seems, if I read your meaning well enough here, then, Urashima."

"Yes, it very much seems so to me and to Grandma Hina, at least at this time, if not forever, Motoko. I can't, of course, force you into this sort of thing, and Grandma Hina can't either. But we know no other virginal woman we could perhaps better entrust with its security than you at this time, you see."

"Understood. But this will not change the fact that I really don't like the idea of you being here at these Apartments as their currently official manager, Keitaro. Keep that in mind, for your own good, and do not forget it. While I understand Grandma Hina named you the official manager to this place in her absence, that still does not change my opinion that a male should not be the manager of a female dormitory in the least, even if I do agree to do what I can to protect the item you and she wish me to protect to the best of my ability. And even if said male is the previous manager's grandson, for that matter. How long will I likely need to safeguard such an item, perhaps, if I were to accept such a responsibility here and now, then?"

"I really don't know. It may only be for a while, or it could be for the rest of your life, come to think of it. Yes, I know that this may not positively change your opinion of me much, if at all. But I'm still quite willing to take the chance that it may, and that the item in question would be in very worthy hands, in terms of its future care and protection, just the same, as long as you retained sufficient enough control over it, somehow. Many may seek to steal it and/or misuse it for various purposes, whether male or female. But I'm reasonably certain that you will be able to somehow defend and maintain it well enough until such time as you're able to cease doing so well enough, and perhaps pass that duty onto someone else entirely, Motoko. Or until it ceases to exist, if ever it does, whichever might come first for it, that is."

"Just so we both are all quite clear on what we've just discussed here, Urashima. Bring it to me later tonight, in my room, and do not forget to knock several times, so that I know that you're wishing entrance into my room legitimately enough. Fail to do so, and you should know what to expect from me by now, I hope."

"Points taken, and acknowledged. Now please see to Naru, Kitsune, and Kaolla in very short order, and make sure that neither I nor Shinobu are disturbed until we both call you all in for supper, Motoko. I promise I will not intrude on your hot springs time without permission from enough of you, for I have other more important things to do now than that, in fact."

"I shall then hold you to that promise, of course, Urashima. No tricks, as I said earlier, or you'll have to deal with the inevitable consequences, you know."

"Yes, I fully understand. Now please leave me, and see to the other necessary people here."

Motoko was gone again from his sight seconds later, without another word or look aimed in his direction, then. After she was, Keitaro then went back to his mail for a while, until Shinobu finally joined him on the couch, so that they could both look over the books here for the Apartments sufficiently well at the current time.

When Shinobu returned to the living room, she said, "Senpai, the girls are in the hot springs now. You said something about the books here, if I remember well enough, for this place."

"Yes, I did. We need to go over them, and see where we can perhaps save some money in some areas to cover increases for expenses in other areas, so that we might not then have to potentially evict anyone from here in the near future. Naru and Motoko's attacks from last month took quite a lot of money to fix the damage from them well enough, it seems. Or to replace certain other items that aren't necessarily Apartments-related, for that matter."

"And that's just for starters?"

"Yes. It seems our resident fox has also 'borrowed,' shall we say, a considerable sum of money in the last month from me, but I still haven't been repaid by her for my loans to her, whether voluntarily or not, Shinobu. She is also a good length of time behind in her rent payments at the present time. But I don't really want to evict her from the Apartments now, if I don't have to, especially at this time of year, for all the obvious reasons."

Shinobu and Keitaro soon began to study the books on the living room's coffee table for a while, and eventually Shinobu said, "We seem to be using a lot more electricity of late than we normally use, even during this particular time of year, for some reason. And our electrical expenses have gone up significantly in a short period of time."

Keitaro asked her to show him where she'd seen that, and she showed him almost immediately thereafter. He soon asked, "To the best of your knowledge, has Kaolla been working on a greater number of electricity-using projects than she normally does during a typical month of late?"

"Come to think of it, I believe she has, Senpai."

"Well, if she has, it's not necessarily helping us stay within our budget well enough here at the current time. Do you think you could convince her to try to keep from doing so, somehow?"

"I'm really not sure if I can. But if you really want me to, I'll most certainly try, of course, you know, Senpai."

"Good. You do that, then, to the best of your ability, Shinobu. I fully believe in you, you know, when it comes to you perhaps being able to do that somehow with her."

"Thank you for your kind words here, then, Senpai."

"My pleasure, Shinobu."

The two of them then went over the books with each other for several long minutes, at least, and did a number of calculations of various things as they both did so. Keitaro eventually asked her, "Shinobu, what would you say to me perhaps letting several other people stay here for at least a little while in the near future? Of course, they would generally have to be female, for the obvious reasons, if not entirely, you know."

"Why do you ask, Senpai?"

"Because you're the one who does much of the necessary laundry and cooking here, if not all of it, of course. And I want your private opinion about it, out of everyone else's hearing range at this time, before I share such a thing or such things with the others. I know you can keep secrets quite well around here. So I am quite willing to trust you with this information, if you're quite willing to share your thoughts with me about it before the others hear about it well enough."

"Senpai, I still don't understand."

"My most recent letter from Grandma Hina is on the table here. You have my permission to read it, if you wish, and let me know what you think of it well enough, Shinobu."

"I see. Then may I please have it, Senpai?"

"Of course you can, but I will need it back later, you know." He quickly handed it to her, and she began perusing it, in very short order.

Shinobu finally said, "I think we can afford to have a few more tenants, if we don't actually have to spend as much on average for repairs and other things per tenant as we have of late due to damage, destruction, and/or extortion, for instance, Senpai, for a while. It might take at least some, if not a lot of, work to make that somehow possible well enough. But I still happen to think that we can actually manage it somehow, if that's true enough for us all here at the Apartments, just the same."

Keitaro considered that for a while, before eventually closing the books here and now for a while. As he then did so, a few knocks sounded on the doors at the front entrance for the Apartments, and he realized their supper guests were most likely now here for it. He then said, "Shinobu, please take these books and my mail back to my room, and put them each back wherever they then need to be in it. I will see our two supper guests in here, while you do so. Once they're both settled in here well enough, we'll both call the others for supper, quite naturally enough."

"As you wish, Senpai. I'll meet you in the hall outside the changing area, then, in short order, if that's all right with you."

"It certainly is. In the meantime, though, I suppose I had best see our guests for supper in here before they both get too cold from standing outside too long, you know."

"Obviously, Senpai. I'll see to the setting of the table just before we call the others, as well, for that matter, then. If you don't beat me to it first, of course."

"Understood. Talk to you again in a few, hopefully." Shinobu quickly nodded and winked, even as she picked up the necessary books then on the coffee table in the living room for the obvious reasons here and now. Mere seconds later, only Keitaro remained in the living room, and even that wasn't the case for much longer after that, in fact.

Keitaro soon opened the front door, and welcomed both of their expected supper guests into the Hinata Apartments' main building, of course. They were dressed in long coats over sweaters and hakama-style trousers or a long skirt, as might be appropriate for each of them, gender-wise, at the present time. He offered to take their coats, and they accepted somewhat graciously indeed. After they were seated on the main couch in the living room, the guests placed two sheathed katanas and an ornately-carved ancient-looking cane on the coffee table there with his full permission.

The woman of the couple soon said, "Manager-san, this man here is my husband Hirotsugu Sakagami, for your information. I am still an Aoyama, but I am also now a Sakagami, as well. He has wanted to meet you for some time. We first met about a dozen years ago, and we have been married to each other for about half that time, more or less. He courted me from late in our respective high school careers, and won my heart, much to my sister's dismay. I have considerably given up the sword at this time in my life. But I am still a somewhat frequent practitioner of certain martial arts techniques that our Clan has long been known for in the past, just the same. We would like to borrow a room for the night, at least, if we may, before we attend to some commitments in Tokyo for at least the next day or so, starting tomorrow afternoon."

"Tsuruko-san, you and your husband are quite welcome to spend the night here tonight, if that is your desire. Your sister Motoko may not like it, of course. But there still is nothing she can really do or say to oppose it here and now, due to me being the official manager here, in the continued absence of my own grandma from the Apartments' grounds."

"That must not be very easy for you to handle well, I take it, Urashima-san," said Hirotsugu, a man of nearly thirty who was fairly well-built and wore his dyed deep purple and bright orange hair in a very unusual style indeed. This hairstyle of his had his hair short in the middle in a flattop-like style that ran from his forehead to where his hairline ended for the back of his neck. It also featured quite spiky hair on the sides that reached a maximum height, perhaps, of roughly six inches above the rest of his hair in the middle, pointing off in many different directions at the same time. A pair of dark-tinted glasses were also present on his face, to hide his eyes at present for reasons yet to be disclosed to Keitaro and everyone else at the Apartments besides Tsuruko.

"That is quite an understatement, Sakagami-san. Motoko is typically much distressed at the fact that my grandmother made me the currently official manager of this place, for certain reasons I believe your wife and you probably know or probably could guess at quite well by now."

"No doubt. Now where are those wonderful smells coming from, if I might ask you this here, Urashima-san? They smell as if they were made by some angel of some sort, in fact."

"They were, in truth. A real angel, and a real sweetheart here, for sure. Tsuruko-san, you do remember where the kitchen/dining area here is, right?"

"I certainly do, Manager-san."

"Then would you please lead your delightful husband to it, and wait for everyone else to come there as well for supper, if that's not too much of a problem for either of you here and now?"

"I would be honored to accede to your wishes here, of course, Manager-san. Come with me now, my beloved, and prepare your taste buds for real treats such as you have never yet experienced in your own mortal life, then."

"As you wish, Oolong-chan. Lead the way, if you please. My cane, then?"

Tsuruko quickly handed her husband his cane, and soon led him out of the living room as needed here, of course. Once they were both past the required door in the Apartments' main building, Keitaro left to find Shinobu where she was still waiting for him to meet her. They briefly conversed very quietly indeed with each other, and then Shinobu soon suggested, "Perhaps we could put them both up for the night in room 202. It is currently available for a night's use, if not more than one. The other two spare rooms on the second floor are currently filled nearly to the roof with assorted work supplies you bought after your last trip to the hardware store, if my memory serves me well enough at the current time."

"One potential problem with that idea, unfortunately, Shinobu. Room 302 is directly overhead, just like Naru's room is in relation to mine here, you know."

"Well, we can't obviously put them both in 301, for that's Kaolla's room. And 304 is Naru's. Also, 305 is a room that you're currently using as a studio area, and 306 is a room that you're currently using as a library-style area for everyone here currently in residence here at the Apartments. We could theoretically put them in 303, but that would put them between Motoko and Naru, Keitaro. And I somehow believe that neither Naru nor Motoko would get much sleep if we actually did that, for some yet-unknown reason to me here and now."

"And if so, then they'd most likely want to tear into me for them not being able to sleep because of Tsuruko and Hirotsugu possibly being with each other in the same room all night, I figure."

"You're right, Senpai. But either we put them both in 202 or in 303. Neither choice here is a very appealing choice, in truth. But you have already extended your warm welcome and invited them to spend the night here and now, you know. Motoko would unquestionably say that your honor as a Urashima therefore requires you to not renege on your word of invitation for them to spend the night here, if they've so chosen to accept that invitation, like you just told me they did a little while ago. She probably wouldn't like it much, quite obviously enough. But she'd still realize, I hope, that it wouldn't be all that wise of her to argue about it in the presence of her sister, at the very least, if not others as well, as of the present time."

"Points taken, Shinobu. If you were the manager here, then, where would you put Tsuruko and her husband for the night?"

"I'd put them in 202, if I really had to make a choice here and now. It might inconvenience Motoko quite considerably indeed. But I still strongly believe it would be much wiser, considering all that we currently know of the people now here, whether as residents or not, if we both put them in room 202 for tonight, at least. And then strongly advise Motoko to put down some mats or play some music of some kind on her music player in order to mask the signs of potential activity in the room below her own tonight."

"I see. Very well, then, that's what we will do, Shinobu. See to the others, please, if you will, and I will wait for you all in the main dining area, for the obvious reasons."

"As you wish, Senpai. And, by the way, the table is already set, just so you know, as needed and as appropriate. I set it while you were still seeing to our guests a little while ago."

Five minutes or so later, then, everyone was then at the table, quite naturally enough. When Motoko saw Hirotsugu, she soon said, "What are YOU doing here, Sakagami?"

Tsuruko turned to her sister, and said, "Motoko, he is with me. We have business in Tokyo for a few days, at most, it seems. And your manager has willingly allowed us to spend at least one night here while we are in the process of conducting business there. You may like not his presence in this place, just as you do not like Manager-san's presence, but you will not disrespect my husband, or I will spank you just as I did whenever I was responsible for you and you misbehaved too much, or worse."

"Sister, he is a wanderer, and he is not worthy of you."

"He is my husband, Motoko-chan. I permit him to travel the world, for he is a musician and an artist, and he has proven himself completely worthy of my trust and my love. He may not be as much into martial arts as we are, mind you. But still, that makes him no less worthy of being my husband and my mate in my life or in his. Love chooses who it will, and will certainly not be denied, come what may in people's lives, if they who love another are somehow truly wise enough to acknowledge it and to then accept whatever the consequences of that love might be for them in their lives."

"Love is overrated, Sister. How can you not see that males are disgusting, more often than not, in their lives?" The others in the room soon began to sit down at the table, quite naturally enough.

"We have many males still in our Clan. Do you consider them disgusting?"

"Men generally want only one thing, as far as I know well enough, Sister."

"Not true, Motoko. But you refuse to recognize that fact. Until you do, you will never truly surpass me with the sword, or truly possess another person's sword for your very own the rest of your days with them." Tsuruko briefly glanced around the table at several of the others around it.

"Spare me your double-entendres, please, at the current time, especially in the presence of the young ones, Sister." Motoko briefly nodded at Shinobu and Kaolla here, for emphasis related to her request of her sister here and now.

"I will speak as I wish, within reason and the limits set for the various places I may sleep from time to time in my life. I have every right in the world to do so, Motoko-chan."

"You abandoned the sword for HIM!" thundered Motoko, somewhat unexpectedly.

"Not entirely, Motoko, or do you need another reminder of it tomorrow, before we depart to attend to our business in Tokyo tomorrow?"

"You wouldn't dare!" exclaimed the shocked Motoko.

"You are challenging me, Motoko, whether you choose to admit it or not. Very well, if you feel you now must be foolish enough to challenge me over him being here, then I strongly must advise you to prepare yourself for a quite grueling sparring session tomorrow. And be prepared to be quite rigorously tested on what you currently know of our Clan's martial arts techniques. I will not go easy on you, so you had best be prepared as much as you possibly can be for it. I have not crossed blades with you for about three months, anyway. You will learn to better respect me and my husband, or wish that you had done so, if I can possibly make you do so, in fact. For he is with me, and I am with him, and nothing you can do or say will change that, as long as there is breath in both our bodies." Tsuruko shot a somewhat withering look at Motoko here, quite naturally enough.

"When?" asked Motoko, attempting to show steel in her eyes, but essentially showing aluminum in them, perhaps, in terms of the strength of her gaze at her sister Tsuruko, apparently.

"9:15 am, on the nose, outside the main building here, but not on the roof of it. If you are late, then you will most certainly regret it dearly."

"Weapons?" asked Motoko, still under Tsuruko's somewhat fierce-looking gaze here.

"Your choice, but for the good of the grounds, no techniques that are potentially destructive to a sufficient enough degree will be permitted during the sparring session. Also no techniques potentially lethal to most humans, for the good of everyone else here, quite obviously enough, of course, will be permitted during it. Other than that, there are no unnecessary limits, as is standard practice for our sessions in places like this one."

"Agreed. Will that be all, then, Sister?" Motoko cast her eyes down to the table, no longer able to meet her sister's gaze at the present time.

"If we both decide to be active tonight quite well with each other, I had better not hear sufficiently well of any objections to me being with him from your direction, at least. IF I do, you will come to regret it, Motoko. It remains to be seen whether or not that will be the case, but it is a distinct possibility, just the same. I belong to my husband, and he to me. As such, we have every right to be with each other in any way we so choose, whatever that way might be, whether you like it or not. And we will be as loud or as quiet as we might each want to be tonight."

"You are impossible, sometimes, Sister." Motoko said that with a tinge of fear threatening to break into her voice well enough, in fact.

"I know. But so what? I am married, and I have responsibilities to my husband now, as you know. Honor requires that I carry out those responsibilities, does it not?"

"That is true. But you should have remained single for life, Sister. You never should have succumbed to a male's advances as you did years ago."

"A burden shared is a burden lessened, Motoko. Yet you are somehow unable to grasp this well enough in your life. You have little enjoyment in your life, and you will seek to find it here, but will have reduced success in finding it as much as your heart yearns for it until such time as you find the one your heart is connected to, and until you permit them to share your load and their lives with you. There is someone out there for you, without a doubt. But until you finally are able to sufficiently grasp what is truly important in your life, you will never truly be at peace, no matter how much you meditate or train or whatever else in your life, and you will never surpass me in the arts of our Clan. Our most extensive and most advanced techniques require the presence of a couple or a family to perform sufficiently well, in truth. As long as you still deny the need for males to be quite present indeed in your own life, as you have long done quite vehemently in it as much as you have so far done, you certainly will never be able to use those techniques in your life as a swordswoman for our Clan."

"Is that the end of the lecture for now, at least, then, Sister?"

"For now, yes, Motoko. But I still will discuss such matters later, if and whenever I so choose, so don't forget that."

"Understood, Sister."

"May we please eat now, Manager-san, then? It seems Kaolla-chan is now getting especially hungry after my recent discussion here with Motoko."

"Sure, why not, Tsuruko-san?"

For the most part, thereafter, supper was a mostly pleasant affair, so to speak. But Motoko was considerably quieter than she normally was during a typical meal at the Apartments, due to her quite thorough just-given dressing-down at the table by her own sister, in fact. Motoko soon left for her own room, and she was not seen again by anyone until Keitaro knocked on her door as necessary later on, for that matter.

Motoko quickly came to the door and peeked briefly out of it in all possible directions, for the obvious reasons, before granting Keitaro entrance into her room. Keitaro remained in her room for about fifteen or so minutes, at most, before leaving them for the rest of the night. Once he was gone for the rest of them, then, she put the item that Keitaro had just given her in a certain place not even Kaolla, Tsuruko, and/or anyone else would be able to find easily enough in her room, most likely. And then she retired for the rest of the night, in very short order. Or at least tried to, anyway.

Keitaro and Shinobu soon bid good night to Tsuruko and Hirotsugu after Keitaro eventually returned to the living room from Motoko's room. As did Naru, who was currently reading in a chair there near Shinobu, who was drawing in a sketchbook of her own then. As for Keitaro, he decided to watch a few anime episodes from various series for a while after returning to the living room from Motoko's room.

Naru soon set down her book, and left the living room behind again for her room. But not without a look that promised punishment if Keitaro tried anything improper with Shinobu, supposing that she then knew about it well enough. Keitaro acknowledged that look with one of his own looks suggesting that she'd better trust him, or else. The two of them continued to stare at each other for a while, before Naru said, "I'm out of here, before I drop from exhaustion somewhere outside my room, you two. But I still don't trust you very much not to perhaps try something with her periodically, Keitaro. Keep that in mind, for your own good, at least."

"Of course, Naru. Nothing untoward on my part, at least, will happen between Shinobu and myself. I am not in the habit of deliberately misusing my position as manager here, you know."

"Keitaro, I mean it."

"So do I. Now get upstairs to your room like you said, or I'll carry you there myself."

"You wouldn't."

"You have been giving me serious trouble all day, Naru, and I really don't like it at all here and now, in fact. Now go, before I put you in your own room and confine you there until morning, at least, if not longer. Furthermore, I might even just totally rip out and repair the floor in your room, for that matter, and stick you elsewhere in these Apartments for a while, in terms of a temporary room, at the very least, here."

"The whole floor?"

"Yes, the whole floor, so that you couldn't come down into my room any longer through the hole in your floor and my ceiling."

"You're lying."

"Don't push me, or I just might. I really hate it very much whenever you just barge into my own room by suddenly dropping into it like you do without just cause or fair enough warning. I hate it as much as, if not more than, you hate it whenever I may stick my head through the hole without fair enough warning and see you while you're changing your clothes or naked. So you keep THAT in mind too, for that matter, Naru."

"Fine, you win, for now, at least, if not permanently. But you STILL don't belong here, just the same, Keitaro."

"Grandma Hina will be the judge of that, Naru. Now go, before I might do something that I'll eventually come to regret!"

Naru looked at Shinobu, and asked for her secret support here, but Shinobu gave her none, once she had fully taken into account the nature of the current argument to a sufficient enough degree, in fact. And she unconsciously began to clench her own fists here as they currently rested on the coffee table near her own sketchbook.

"Naru, get to your room now, or I'll even throw you in the hot springs fully clothed if I must, somehow" Shinobu finally said, all of a sudden, much to everyone's quite considerable surprise here and now. And most especially to the great surprise of Shinobu herself, for that matter. She began to rise and prepare to chase after Naru here, and her face quickly began to shift into a very fierce-looking expression indeed. Naru and Keitaro saw that, and Shinobu then slammed her fists down on the table several times with such force that the top of the table began to seriously crack all over it in various directions. When Shinobu then fully stood between the main couch and the coffee table, she suddenly drove her foot down on the top of the table and split the aforementioned table in half quite easily indeed with just one blow from her foot. It collapsed almost immediately, and then Shinobu stepped over the remains of the table, just before beginning to chase after Naru here. Keitaro then really tried to somehow stop Shinobu here and now, of course. But Shinobu could still not somehow be held back here quite well enough, as Naru then fled the room just as fast as she possibly could here.

Naru fled to her room in very short order, but not without also trying to slow Shinobu down here at least a little bit, if not a lot, as she did so. Shinobu shouted, "You can most certainly run, but I most certainly WILL have your disgusting little hide eventually, if you ever somehow come to actually buck Senpai too much, Naru," as she still chased Naru through the Apartments just as quickly as she possibly could at the current time.

Naru made it to her room just in time to keep Shinobu from catching her well enough. And she then quite quickly barricaded her own door just as best as she could before Shinobu could actually reach her own door well enough. It was not too much longer when Shinobu did so, but Naru was somehow still safe enough, at least for the time being, in her own room again from Shinobu's quite-considerable current wrath.

"You had better perhaps remain in there the rest of the night, for your own good. For if I see you again tonight, you might just come to regret it, somehow, Naru," said Shinobu, from just outside Naru's own door. She was about to punch a hole in that very same door, to perhaps better emphasize her current anger with her. But Keitaro barely stopped her fist just before it was about to make contact with it, somehow.

"That's enough for now, at least, Shinobu. It's not worth pounding her here, I think, even if she might truly deserve punishment here." Keitaro firmly held his young charge's right fist in his left hand, and refused to let it go for any reason until she began to calm down at least a little bit, if not a lot.

"She can't be allowed to buck you so badly, Senpai." She looked him in the eyes as she then said that here quite steadily indeed, in fact.

"I'll deal with her as the need arises, and as I see fit. She'll most definitely get hers later, if and whenever the need arises, rest assured, Shinobu, if she foolishly continues on the road that she's still on long enough, I'm quite sure. Please just let her be for now, at least physically, if not in any other ways whatsoever. Let her have at least some time to herself in order to allow her to consider her current situation at least a little bit before you might do anything else against her here."

"Senpai, she's quite wrong here, you know."

"That is so, for sure. But losing your innocent heart, for instance, is quite wrong too, as far as I am concerned, if you don't have to lose it at all right now, Shinobu."

Shinobu said, "She makes me so angry sometimes, Senpai."

"I know. And I know the others do too. But violence is generally not the proper way to deal with those who are enough like Naru, for instance, Shinobu. She eventually will either come to learn that is true or come to learn it not, somehow, I'm quite sure. Just because she can't get past her issues right now with me being here, just as Motoko apparently can't, that doesn't mean that she'll always remain that way, I believe. But there is no reason why you should behave like them as well, either. Did it ever solve anything where it came from whenever your parents got really mad at each other, for that matter?"

"No, of course not. Your point being, Senpai?"

"Why are you here now, instead of with them?"

"Because I really couldn't stand actually being around them quite often indeed if and whenever they argued and fought with each other as much as they did and as fiercely as they often did any longer in my own life, Senpai."

"Do you ever want to be just like your parents often are whenever they're actually like that in their own lives, then?"

"No, of course I don't, Senpai!" cried Shinobu, as she then flew into his now-open arms and began to sob quietly while still proceeding to bury her face in his shirt. At least at first, she did so, anyway, if not for a very long time indeed.

"Then please let Naru make the next move, and not make it yourself. If she is ever ultimately to be destroyed, it would be best for all concerned if she destroys herself, and only herself, I believe. Of course, I really don't want her to ever be destroyed at all in her life, for all the obvious reasons, either by herself or anyone else. But if that's how things ultimately do come to pass for her in her own life, eventually, then so be it."

Shinobu thought about that for a little while in relative silence outside Naru's door, "I certainly won't stand for that sort of cavalier and unjust treatment towards you forever, from anyone at all in your life, if I can possibly ever avoid it at all. You definitely don't deserve it from anyone, and you should never have to put up with it, Senpai, as far as I am concerned."

"I understand that, Shinobu. But I'm still trying to prove myself quite worthy indeed of being the official manager of a generally female-only dormitory, you see. It most certainly will take a whole lot of work to do so, if I'm not too mistaken here, well enough to satisfy at least one or two of the other tenants here. But I am still quite willing to do whatever I possibly can, within justifiable enough reason, to actually prove myself somehow worthy enough in all of their eyes to be the official manager here of these Apartments. Even if it still means I might periodically get beat on quite severely indeed without just cause, somehow, by the other primary residents here, you know."

"That's practically all the time. It's rarely ever your fault whenever you might actually fall on one of us, is it not?"

"I may be quite clumsy indeed in my life, but I'm not necessarily going to use that as an excuse, Shinobu, if I don't have to, in such situations."

"But it's the truth, is it not, quite often?"

"That may be so, but still, I truly have no desire to take the easy way out of any situation whatsoever in my life, generally, if I don't absolutely have to. No matter what, I'm not ever going to use any conditions that I might possibly ever have working against me in negative ways as acceptable enough excuses for the various problems I might ever have, if I can possibly somehow ever avoid doing so at all, in my own mortal life, Shinobu."

"They don't deserve your kind treatment, often, Senpai."

"Maybe not, but please think about this for a bit, if you possibly can, Shinobu."

"What, Senpai?"

"What if my treatment of them is somehow starting to set an example or two, at least, for them to try to emulate in each of their own respective mortal lives, for instance? And for you as well, for that matter, of course."

"I don't understand, Senpai."

"What if they don't yet realize sufficiently well that whatever they might do in their respective lives doesn't just affect their own lives, but other people's lives as well? What if they don't realize yet that we're all connected to each other, no matter where we are in the entire known Universe, simply because we all are human beings from the time we are each conceived in it, and that we always will be, even after our potential future deaths? I am trying to change each of their lives for the better, just as I am trying to do the same for you here and now. And just as I have been doing ever since I first came here to be this place's official manager."

"What if they never learn what you're trying to teach them, Senpai?"

"Then it quite unfortunately will be their own loss or losses, if I've actually done all that I possibly can ever do with them in order to try and teach any or all of them whatever I've been trying to teach you all here, of course, ultimately, Shinobu. But it still won't be for a lack of actual trying from me, for at least as long as I'm still here, that is."

Shinobu considered that for at least a little while longer, as her tears began to eventually dry up to at least some degree here, before she said, "You were also drawn here for some other reason, perhaps, were you not?"

"Yes, I think that may very well be true, somehow, in truth, Shinobu. Somehow, though I really don't know just why, I periodically get the very strange feeling indeed that my promised girl is here now, or that she'll eventually come here sometime later on. And not only that, but also that we both will actually enter Tokyo U together with each other someday. I'm not sure just which of those first two things, at least, might somehow be true in my own life, for sure, mind you. But I still have this very strange feeling every so often that one of those things is true, just the same. I periodically do hear her voice, every so often, but I still can't remember anything else at all about her in my life, for some yet-unknown reason. I most definitely made a promise with her over 15 long years ago to attend Tokyo U with her someday. But just who she might actually be in this world of ours, if she still lives, I really can't remember at all, for sure. Among a lot of other things I can't even remember well enough about from that particular time in my own mortal life, when I was about 4 years old, perhaps, come to think of it."

"I see. Who's actually going to pay for all of the stuff that just got ruined while I was still chasing Naru here, or for the table, then, Senpai?"

"I'll cover all the damage caused this particular time, at least, if not at any other such times as well, Shinobu. But you still can't just fly off the proverbial handle and with knives unsheathed, so to speak, every time, or nearly every time, that Naru or Motoko or Kitsune, for instance, might then do something that they really shouldn't do with me, you see. I still really need you here, Shinobu. I don't want to have to send you away because you couldn't actually control yourself well enough around them, ever. Listen, I know that you don't ever want to see me hurt if you don't absolutely have to in your life. But it would really hurt me if I ever had to send you away because you might have done something you never should have done. You don't ever want to hurt me if you don't have to, do you?"

"No, of course not, Senpai. And I generally haven't flown off the handle with them whenever they've mistreated you in the past, have I?"

"Then let potential fools prepare their own unwitting destructions for themselves, if the need arises for them to be prepared, and don't interfere in such things any more than you have to. Be there with them, if necessary, to try to help them avoid such things. But please don't ever let them lead you on the exact same paths they might ever actually take themselves leading to said destructions, if you can possibly ever avoid doing so at all, somehow, Shinobu. And, no, you generally haven't actually lost your temper at such times, either. But you have still run away from people from time to time around here at such times, just the same, you know."

"I'll promise I will honestly try not to, just as you've promised to get into Tokyo U just as soon as you possibly can, if you ever can, Senpai. But I also must let you know that there still is a certain absolute point beyond which I will no longer tolerate any more such cavalier and such unjust behavior against you or those close enough to you in your life, mind you. Even if it means I might eventually ever feel somehow that I'd actually have to take certain matters into my very own hands well enough in order to finally prevent certain treatment of you from continuing forever because of certain other people in your life."

"Shinobu, I really don't want you to ever become a killer."

"I really don't want to be one either, of course, Senpai. But still, even the most meek and kind-hearted person can possibly be provoked into doing certain negative-type things that they might not normally otherwise do, if certain other persons eventually make them feel like there is no other choice but to do those things in their own lives, you see. For I believe everyone in this world has a definite limit of tolerance for certain negative things in their lives, after which they may feel the need to do whatever they possibly can to try to deal with those things in sufficient enough ways to neutralize or eliminate them from their lives. Even you can't deny that fact is true, can you?"

"Yes, but, generally, it's quite wrong, in my honest opinion, for someone to actually resort to acts of violence to resolve various situations they might encounter every so often in their own mortal lives. True, sometimes the use of violent acts by people in the process of resolving certain situations well enough in their lives is very much required, of course. But I also very strongly indeed feel that the use of violence in order to stop certain injustices should only be resorted to if and whenever there is quite clearly indeed absolutely no other way whatsoever to deal with such situations sufficiently well in this Universe of ours, Shinobu."

"Points taken, Senpai. But I still think they often don't deserve your kindnesses towards them, in certain cases, just the same."

"Maybe not, but I'm still willing to grant them all certain kindnesses at times, if and whenever the need or desire for me to do just that might ever arise for me, at least, if not them as well, in all our lives. Just as I do with you every so often, of course, Shinobu. Listen, I know that I may indeed be enabling them from time to time with their bad habits. But I still happen to feel somehow that if I am kind enough to them often enough, they just might perhaps eventually change their ways sufficiently well in positive enough ways for the rest of their lives, no matter who they might actually be here, you see."

"And if you're wrong, then what?"

"Then so be it. But I am not just going to abandon them in their lives if I don't absolutely have to, just the same, Shinobu. Just as I will not abandon you needlessly, if I can possibly ever avoid it somehow, in fact."

The two of them eventually adjourned to the kitchen/dining room area for a bedtime snack with each other, after remaining outside Naru's room for a good long while. They soon got themselves some milk and cookies for those snacks of theirs, before returning to the living room once again, and beginning to take in the remains of the coffee table, for example. Of course, with the table ruined, they could no longer place anything on top of it, for the obvious reasons. So they ultimately had to place the platter of cookies and the tray of milk elsewhere in the room, for sure. Shinobu said, "I am really sorry for destroying the table, Senpai. I really made a mess of things here, didn't I?"

"Naru caused it, at least indirectly, Shinobu, but you didn't help the table either, you know."

"I know. I normally don't get that upset, Senpai, with anyone else here, you know."

"True, Shinobu. But Naru was really a handful today. And she has been such for at least a little while of late. But that still doesn't excuse this, you know, on either of your parts."

"Nor should it, Senpai, I think."

"I think the both of you should clean this mess up first chance you get, together, then."

"Why?"

"Because you're both at least partly responsible for this, of course, Shinobu. And I think you should both clean up all the mess that you two both made around these Apartments during your earlier chase, for that matter, together. I will cover the costs of the damage, and the replacement of replaceable items, as best as I possibly can, as I already told you, mind you. But the mess must still be cleaned up well enough, for the obvious reasons, as soon as possible, by the two of you. I really hope that I won't actually have to ground you both for a while in order to get you to do that with each other, for that matter."

"Is that a request or an order, Senpai?"

"Take it as you will, Shinobu. I really would most prefer that you regard it as the former, and not the latter, of course. But I will still do the latter, if I absolutely must, you know, for either of you or both of you."

"Very well, Senpai. For you, and you alone, at the current time, I will try to treat Naru with dignity and civility here, even if she may not do the same with you, at least, for instance. But know this as well, please. I won't tolerate such treatment from her against you, at least, any longer any more than I absolutely have to, just the same. I may have to deal with it, quite obviously enough, every so often, at least, if not all the time, but I still won't tolerate it any more than I absolutely have to in my life, no matter what, just so you know this here and now quite well enough indeed."

"Fair enough, I suppose. But I still hope that you can somehow actually tolerate much more than you currently think you can, just the same, Shinobu, for quite some length of time yet into the future, you see. I believe you can do it well enough, somehow, no matter what. Please do all you can to make me proud in that regard, okay?"

"For you, Senpai, I most certainly will, to the best of my ability, I promise."

"Good. Now I suggest that we quickly finish our milk and cookies and then retire for the rest of the night to our respective rooms before it's too late for either or both of us to do just that here and now, for all the obvious reasons here and now, you know."

The two of them soon returned their respective things to the kitchen area for later cleaning, and then eventually parted from each other for the rest of the night. Keitaro left Shinobu behind near the main stairs before she did the same for him. And then he went to his own room for the rest of the night, quite naturally enough.

Shinobu hung around in the living room for a while, and proceeded to gather up her things from within the remains of the table for a little while. With that then done, she soon brought her things to her room, grabbed some of her sleepwear, and headed back downstairs so that she could have a short soak all alone in the hot springs before she retired for the rest of the night to her own room.

Not too much later, she was quite alone again in the hot springs, and guaranteed not to be disturbed by anyone needlessly while she was still there, for sure. She remained in there for quite some time, and quite thoroughly indeed considered all the events of the now-ending day that she now knew of for everyone now present on the Apartments' grounds. Most especially the ones directly pertaining to her during it, of course. And she was much displeased, upon further contemplation of such events, about just how easily Naru had gotten her quite upset indeed some time before. Shinobu was seriously disgusted not only with Naru, mind you, but also with herself, and her reactions to the applicable events of the day that had occurred, based on her own knowledge of the same. She really wished that she had never blown up quite as severely as she just had with Naru, as well, come to think of it, but still somehow also knew that it was quite hopeless to dwell overlong on such negative-type things, just the same, as well. So she eventually resolved to try to do better in her future interactions with Naru, at least, if not anyone else she then knew sufficiently well in her own life, by the way.

Eventually, Shinobu exited the hot springs, and changed into the sleepwear that she'd just brought with her to the changing room ultimately leading to the hot springs. With that done, she soon returned to her room, and remained there for the rest of the current night, of course. And so she then quickly slept in her own bed there, while also hoping that the other current primary female residents would come to eventually see whatever Keitaro was trying to teach them all well enough, in fact.

* * *

Well, this closes the first real chapter of this story, people. Will Motoko find she has essentially bitten off more than she can chew with her sister at the current time, or not? Will Naru be able to keep Shinobu out of her hair, so to speak? Or will she and/or others come to quite often experience what it might be like to be Keitaro? And at the hands of Shinobu, no less, in time? Only time will tell us all just what all the answers to the above questions and any number of others will eventually be, of course, everyone. But until then, you and I will all just have to wait and see exactly how this story and/or any stories sufficiently related to it play out well enough, quite naturally enough. Until later, then, this is The Universal Storyteller now signing off, and hoping that you will all return for the next exciting chapter of _Not Always As Things Seem_, for sure, whenever it comes to be posted up here on this particular website, for that matter! TUS out!


	3. Chapter 002: Unexpected Major Surprises

Well, here is the next chapter of this particular story, finally, perhaps just a few weeks later than I had originally planned to actually release it here. For I was really hoping to release it just about two weeks ago, by my most recent birthday, whenever that might actually be for me here. But at least it's actually here now, people. Many more things happen in this chapter that will play a big enough part or big enough parts in any number of future chapters for this story. I really hope that you all really enjoy this chapter, even if any number of your favorite _Love Hina_ characters might actually find themselves in certain positions that they might not normally find themselves in, either in canon or in this particular fandom. This next chapter, though, that I'm just about to release to you all here and now, should be quite action-packed, as certain things then start to get even more serious than they already are here and now in this story. I will still not reveal yet here just when and just where Cloak-san, at least, if not any number of other characters as well, will next appear in it, for sure. But I will still say, just the same, that she may indeed appear in the somewhat near future, whenever that might prove to be for everyone in the entire story.

And I really hope that you all will somehow be able to enjoy this next chapter quite a bit, more or less, if and whenever possible. Also, I am really hoping that you all will gladly provide me with a good number of quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews, et cetera, in the very near future. At least for it, if not for any other parts of it as well, for that matter. I will await those various reviews, and other comments you might leave me, regarding it here, at least, quite naturally enough. But, also, please do not forget, if you can possibly avoid doing so at all somehow, that this story may actually be highly AU in many, if not in all, respects, just the same.

Well, I suppose that's enough discussion here before I actually release this chapter for your periodic reading, everyone, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. With no further ado, then, I, The Universal Storyteller, hereby releases the following chapter for public reading here on the applicable website for at least the time being, if not permanently. Until later, then, this is The Universal Storyteller signing off, and wishing you all the usual things that I say whenever I have been known to release chapters of multi-part stories, in fact.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Some time later:

* * *

The following morning, not very long after breakfast ended, it was still moderately early in the morning of Sunday, December 16, 1990. Motoko and Tsuruko soon found themselves outside the main building on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, and preparing for a sparring session, at least, with each other. Several others were getting ready to watch them spar and battle from a safe enough distance, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

Motoko soon chose her weapons for the session from a good-sized selection of weapons brought to the location of the session by Hirotsugu, Tsuruko's husband. Among the weapons she chose for her and her sister to use during it were two shinai, to name just a few of them, in fact. Both women stowed some of those weapons on their persons, while also quite firmly holding their respective main weapons in their hands. Even as they each then prepared to take their required starting positions so that their sparring session of sorts with each other here and now could finally begin well enough, for that matter. And so they each soon were, just before it then began, quite naturally enough.

In the middle of the field in which Motoko and her older sister Tsuruko both now stood, there stood Hirotsugu with a violin and its bow in his hands, even while he was also within three concentric circles clearly marked with stones of increasing size as one might approach the common center for all of them. The violin was in his left hand, and the bow was in his right. He soon put the violin's base under his chin, and then placed his bow on its strings as he then saw fit. That done, he then played at least a few notes, if not more, from a somewhat old piece of music once composed by long-dead members of his wife and his sister-in-law's family for a few seconds, at least. When he had played all the required notes on his violin here, he then stowed away on his back his violin and its bow, just before calmly sitting cross-legged where he now was, and preparing to listen to the sounds of the imminent session here, for that matter.

Once he was sufficiently in place, then, the two sisters bowed to him, and to each other, just before beginning to spar with each other, both from long-range and from point-blank range, as the session came to pass for each of them. They sparred for at least an hour, if not longer, before the older sister finally was able to get the upper hand sufficiently well against the younger, and claimed victory, as expected. But Motoko lasted considerably longer against her sister than she normally did during one of their periodical sparring/training sessions with each other on average. Though she didn't win, she did show at least some reasonable level of improvement in her ability to use their own family's martial arts techniques sufficiently well, for that matter.

After the sparring/training session finally ended well enough, then, Motoko and her sister, along with several others, eventually retreated to the hot springs for at least a little while, if not a long while, to soak in them well enough. Once that was actually done quite well enough to suit all the people who'd just gone there with each other, all the soakers quickly dressed. After which, they each went about their respective businesses for much of the day, if not all of it, quite soon afterward. Including Tsuruko and her husband Hirotsugu, for that matter, come to think of it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hina was somewhere in the South Pacific with several other members of her extended family, including several of her nephews and nieces. She'd unexpectedly decided some good length of time before to visit several of them at assorted vacation spots in that particular part of the world. But a somewhat tragic accident had suddenly happened not long after she'd begun doing so, and she therefore began to deal with that tragedy almost immediately after she learned of it. One of the things that she then began doing was to try to see that Keitaro's now-orphaned relative Kanako, who was now still a toddler, at most, was definitely not shuffled off to certain other members of the Urashima family. Kanako had just lost both her parents when they'd been killed in a car accident by a drunk driver, in fact. And Hina now was trying to see to her great-granddaughter Kanako's welfare just as best as she then could here.

Kanako now appeared to be about a year or so old, at the very most, if even that. And she was born the eldest triplet daughter of two college students who'd each finished high school and started college at least a few years earlier than most people would in their respective lives. Hina was also trying very hard indeed to actually keep the other two triplets that had been born with Kanako together with her. But certain members of the Urashima family thought that the three triplets shouldn't actually be kept together, once the required matters related to her parents were resolved well enough, somehow.

"If you have a real problem with that particular sort of thing, then, I most gladly will adopt them all, and raise them as my own, just as I did my very own children, if I truly must do just that, somehow, Shukioshi. I surely will miss Takazomo and his wife Aytamiku very much indeed, of course. But they are no longer with us here in this world of ours. So we must move on, and do what we possibly can to best see to their mutual welfare. I will not allow you or any members of your quite infernal crowd to somehow ever damage their futures to a large enough degree by you or them eventually bringing them into your numerous very perverted and very sick affairs, for that matter, as sure as I am now the current head of this family. A future life of virtual slavery, in essence, to other people, especially to prospective criminals, is most definitely not suitable for any of my grandchildren, or any other possible and/or actual descendants of mine. And most especially for any of my present or future granddaughters, et cetera, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Your own twin brother Takazomo and his beloved wife Aytamiku would never truly allow it as long as they still drew breath, and they still wouldn't even if they didn't, either, if they could possibly ever prevent it somehow, for sure. Therefore, you shall definitely not ever somehow manage to get your custodial hands on them for as long as I can keep you from actually doing so well enough. You shall never be permitted to perhaps steal their respective futures from any or all of them for your wicked purposes, whatever those purposes might ever be, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all, somehow, for sure."

"This is wrong, Elder Hina," said a tall and dark-haired male who was about 20 or so years old in his life. "He was my twin brother, and my next-of-kin."

"That may be so, Shukioshi, but unlike you, he never was interested in often participating in certain immoral and/or illegal affairs. Most especially after he met Aytamiku in his own life, for that matter. You wanted her for your own, but she would not let you have her. Because you tried to get her to do things that she was quite uncomfortable with, quite often indeed, she ultimately rejected you as a potential husband, at least, if not in any other ways whatsoever. And she therefore refused to let you have her for your very own. Not only that, she also knew that you were unquestionably involved in a great number of activities she didn't like or approve of in her life one bit. And she really didn't want you to ever be able to somehow have custody of her kids if anything ever happened to her or your brother. For she really didn't want them to be potential prey for prospective yakuza like you, or be forced to live certain ways, in any of their lives, eventually. You most certainly won't get custody over any of them as long as I and many of the rest of us still live, no matter what. The wills of her and your brother will most certainly guarantee it, in fact. Dare to officially contest their respective last wills and testaments, in court, and you will be legally disowned from this family, officially, at their request, by those of us who are sufficiently enough on the law-abiding side of this family. Do I make myself clear, quite clear, Shukioshi?"

"This will NOT stand, then, Elder Hina."

"It had better, or else you and those with you in this family will wish that it had without any trouble from you, for sure. Think over your actions very carefully, Shukioshi. For if you and those with you are foolish, and carry out certain actions that you would not be wise to carry out, then you will set into motion a series of events that may come back to destroy you in time, ultimately. IF you and your people ever start something, you can be absolutely certain, without any doubt, that we will eventually finish it, no matter how long, and whatever, it takes for us to do so well enough, once and for all."

"We'll see about that, then. Very well, we shall leave you alone for a while, while we consider our current options, Elder Hina. But we still will let you all know our ultimate decisions sometime later, once we have done so well enough, for sure. Let's get out of here, then, Black Diamondites. Let's leave these fools to their whacked-out plans for at least the time being, if not for a long time," said Shukioshi, after a few moments of relative silence and staring between Hina and himself here and now.

Some decent length of time later, Grandma Hina was actually allowed to officially adopt the now-orphaned Kanako and her fellow triplet sisters, per the strongly-expressed wishes of her now-killed grandson Takazomo and his wife, expressed through certain unquestionably valid clauses in their respective last wills and testaments. But not without at least some contesting of those two wills by Shukioshi and his crowd of followers, if not a lot of it, in fact.

Once all necessary legal matters were dealt with related to Takazomo, Aytamiku, and their three now-orphaned children sufficiently well, Hina soon assembled all then-available members of the Urashima family she was then the head of, and held a meeting with them all as she then so desired to have with them all. Most of the then-assembled members of the Urashima family still remained quite loyal to her, for that matter. But there were still many members of it who chose very foolishly indeed to actually rebel against Grandma Hina and those then with her. So a somewhat intense battle indeed soon resulted between both sides of the then-applicable Urashima family issues. After which, those who followed Hina eventually drove away those who followed Shukioshi then and there, simply because of them being considerably stronger and much better led than those following Hina's challenger for leadership of the Urashima family, by the way. When they were sufficiently enough defeated by Hina's followers, the rebels were all quickly disowned by Hina and many others. At least legally, if not in any other ways whatsoever, anyway.

Almost immediately after they were, Hina then called Haruka, and told her to tell Keitaro that there would soon be more people coming to the Apartments than Hina had earlier thought there might be coming there in the near future. Haruka agreed to relay the message to Keitaro the first chance she got to do so well enough, of course. And then Hina prepared to make plans for the triplets' future, whether or not anything might ever happen to her sometime yet in the future, for that matter.

These plans of hers then took at least a little while, if not a long while, to make well enough, for all the obvious reasons here and now. But eventually, they were all still made. And Hina soon began to raise them with the help of several other members of the Urashima family, quite naturally enough. She spent at least a few weeks with the now-orphaned triplets, before learning of a potential attempt from the now-ronin Black Diamondites to snatch them. She soon decided to send them away temporarily under reasonably heavy guard, while she and others saw to their safe getaway from where Hina and they had just spent some time together with each other.

Hina sent them away and back to Japan under heavy guard by the end of the first full week of January 1991. She didn't want to send them away so soon after they'd lost their parents, but she saw no other better alternative to ensure their current safeties to do so well enough here and now. So she sent them all away from somewhere in New Zealand, and back to Japan. Before she did so, though, she charged all of their guards with a mission to defend each and every single one of the triplets to the death, if the need might then arise at all somehow. All the selected guards vowed to do so quite loyally indeed, with no doubt about their loyalties here and now whatsoever, for that matter. And so, Kanako, Kagome, and Komazuaki soon left their great-grandmother and many others behind in New Zealand, and with them all being under quite heavy guard indeed, in due time.

* * *

Several hours after they all parted from their great-grandmother Hina and many others, under quite heavy guard by many loyal members of the Urashima family, the triplets and their very large contingent of guards arrived together in Tokyo, Japan. Haruka eventually met up with them and their guards not long after they cleared customs, et cetera, and was soon briefed at more detail about the events of the past few weeks pertaining to the rest of the Urashima family by the triplets' guards.

By the time that they all finally arrived on the grounds for the Hinata Apartments well enough, then, Haruka knew everything that any or all of the now-present guards actually knew well enough about the currently-existing situation between loyal members of the Urashima family and now-ronin members of it. And she was quite angry indeed when she heard sufficiently well about the still-recent rebellion against Grandma Hina, quite naturally enough, of course. She promised to defend all the triplets to the death, if and whenever the need might ever arise for her to do so in the future, for sure, not long after that became the case for her well enough.

When they all arrived on the grounds of the Hinata Apartments, Haruka wasted no time in small talk, as she had several of the guards begin to take up positions around the perimeter of the grounds, and others to come inside the main building with her as she did so. She led several others with her into that main building, even as three of them were then having to carry the triplets into it, for all the obvious reasons here. The first person she saw from the Apartments when she entered the main building was Motoko, and Motoko was on the stairs as she did so.

Motoko soon asked, "Why are these males here, Haruka-san?"

"Because they are helping to guard three young children, which three of these people are now holding. Where is my cousin the manager? I must speak with him as quickly as possible. Much must now be discussed with him, and it involves Urashima family business of the greatest importance. Get him now!" Haruka shot her a look that invited no argument whatsoever at the current time about the presence of several males now on the grounds of the Apartments.

Motoko instantly went in search of Keitaro, somehow sensing it definitely would not be all that wise for her to challenge Haruka regarding certain people and/or things at the present time, at least, if not sometime later after that, as well, in fact. She found him cleaning the hot springs when she did so, and he was nearly done with them, for that matter. Keitaro quickly heard what she had to say, and then hurried off to find Haruka elsewhere in the Apartments' main building, of course.

With that done, Motoko then began to study the signs of his still-uncompleted work in the hot springs for a while. While she was still doing so, she suddenly got this feeling that any number of things had just changed quite significantly indeed for quite some time, if not forever. And she didn't really like that feeling here and now for herself, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons, come to think of it, even one little bit at all, either.

She remained in the hot springs area for a little while all alone with herself, before going back inside to do what she'd been about to do before Haruka had caught her going upstairs from the living room area for the Apartments. On her way towards the stairs, however, she saw several of the other residents huddling around the three baby girls, and curiosity soon struck her quite considerably indeed here.

So she soon decided to see what had just gotten their mutual interest quite strongly here and now. It wasn't long before she made her way to the main couch where Keitaro was now feeding Kanako, the eldest triplet daughter of one of his first cousins, in fact. Naru was holding Kagome, the middle triplet of the three, at the very same time. And as for Shinobu, she herself was holding the youngest of the three, Komazuaki, at the other end of the main couch from Keitaro and on the other side of Naru from him on it.

"Urashima, who are these babies?"

"They are the orphaned triplet daughters of one of my first cousins and his wife, making them all, then, my first cousins once-removed Grandma Hina just adopted them and sent them here for their own good, for several members of our family have now been officially declared ronin from our family. At least legally, if not in any other ways whatsoever, after rebelling against her and her right to head our family, you see, Motoko-chan. They have vowed to destroy those of us who have sided with Grandma Hina in the matters that are still being discussed here among many of us now in this living room, if and whenever possible."

"I see, And so?"

"They may seek to capture or kill anyone who stands with Hina and her friends and her relatives, no matter who they might be. And they may even try to somehow snatch one or more of these three babies so that they can bring them up or force them into lives of slavery and/or any number of evil-type things, eventually and/or ultimately."

"What are their names, then?"

"The one I am holding is named Kanako. Naru is holding Kagome. And Shinobu is holding Komazuaki."

"May I hold one of them, then, please?"

"I don't see why not, Motoko-chan. Here, please take Kanako. It seems I have to get up and do some personal business now, anyway."

Motoko quickly took Kanako from Keitaro, who then quickly rose and fled the room for the nearest bathroom area, quite naturally enough. She soon sat down with Kanako in just the same spot that Keitaro had just vacated, and tried to get Kanako to continue feeding from her current bottle of milk here and now. However, Kanako would not have any of it from Motoko, and she fussed and fidgeted, as if she didn't want Motoko to hold her at all. Haruka soon saw this, and moved to take Kanako from Motoko, but not before Kanako clenched her hands into fists, and began to try to smack Motoko in the face, if not anywhere else as well, at least a few times, if not several times. Motoko thought, "Why is she like this? Why is she going after me?"

Haruka soon was at Motoko's side, and commented, "Motoko, it seems that Kanako doesn't really like you here for some reason."

"Are you certain she's a Urashima, Haruka-san?"

"Totally, Motoko. Just as her triplet sisters are as well. I wonder if she'll ever really like you, for some reason or reasons I can't quite explain at the current time, at least, if I'll ever be able to, well enough. I'm also wondering here and now if she somehow already knows of your beating up on him quite often ever since he got here to become this place's manager, for that matter."

"That's ridiculous, Haruka-san! How could she ever know whether or not that is true, without witnessing such things herself, well enough?"

"I really don't know just how she might, to be totally honest with you here and now. But she still somehow actually seems to sense certain things are not necessarily as they should be between my cousin and you, and/or with a number of the other primary tenants here, Motoko."

Motoko thought about what Haruka just said for a while here, as Haruka then held Kanako in her arms and fed her at the same time from her current bottle. "What if she ever learns that you've hit Urashima periodically with your fans most of the time whenever he's actually called you 'Aunt Haruka,' even though you're really just cousins to each other?"

"Then I will deal with that potential problem if and whenever the need arises, of course, as I might actually see fit to well enough. Keitaro, though, is Keitaro, and he will probably continue to periodically call me that, no matter what, it seems to me."

"What if she ever learns that Naru and Kitsune have often mistreated him as well to a sufficient enough degree, then, for instance?"

"Then I suppose they had best watch out for her. For, based on the feelings I somehow seem to be getting about her as I now hold her and feed her, she will not look too kindly on any and/or all unjust treatment of him by anyone needlessly. She might not be able to hurt them now, of course, but perhaps somewhere down the line, she might somehow be able to, I think."

"Like a baby could really hurt any of us here, Haruka-san. Get real."

"Naru, from what I somehow seem to be getting here, her abilities in the future could very well make her even stronger than both Motoko and Tsuruko, if they're ever honed well enough. It might not actually come to happen for at least ten to fifteen years, if not even longer than that, mind you. But the potential for her to be at least that strong, if not even stronger than that, somehow, is most definitely there, just the same. In which case, you and Kitsune, at least, if not also Motoko, may both be very fortunate indeed if she might ever let you live after all you most likely would ever have done by then against Keitaro, I think. Shinobu would perhaps be sufficiently enough safe from her potentially great wrath, and so might both Mutsumi and Kaolla also be, but not necessarily you, Motoko, or Mitsune, might actually be, for that matter."

Eventually, Keitaro returned, and he took Kanako back from Haruka here. For a while longer, then, the many guards that had seen to the delivery of the triplets onto the grounds of the Apartments still remained on them. But, eventually, for all the obvious reasons here and now, they themselves had to leave as well.

Keitaro eventually put the triplets to bed in his room with the help of Naru, Shinobu, Haruka, and Kaolla. After which, Motoko stood guard over them while Keitaro went back to his still-uncompleted task here. Which was to clean the hot springs, in fact. It took him about another fifteen minutes or so, perhaps, to do so sufficiently well then and there. But eventually, he was able to finally complete them well enough for his tenants to use them when they next wanted to use them, for that matter.

Not long after that happened well enough, then, he went back to his room for the rest of the night, or at least much of it, if not all of it. And he soon let Motoko leave them again to do whatever else she then wanted to do anywhere, by the way. No matter what it was, he still let her do so, just the same, then and there.

Motoko soon decided to make herself some tea as she also read some articles in various periodicals and/or newspapers for a little while before bed. Shinobu and most of the other residents had already gone to bed by then. But Kaolla was still up and about, and in the process of demolishing a banana split or two or three each made with bananas and a few scoops of four different kinds of ice cream, when Motoko entered the kitchen herself for her tea.

When Kaolla saw her enter the kitchen well enough, she soon said, "Hey, Motoko, want to help me eat these banana splits, by any chance?"

"No thank you, Kaolla-chan. I would just rather have some tea and read for a while as I do so. Certainly you do not really need my help to actually eat them well enough, do you?"

"No, I don't suppose I do. But I still wouldn't mind it if you did decide to share at least part of one with me, if not take one as well for yourself."

"I see. So what is on your mind now, if I might ask?"

"Kanako-chan doesn't seem to like you much at present, for instance."

"Yes, that seems to be the case now, unfortunately. That girl seems to have a very strong dislike of her current situation. As for her sisters, I have no real idea just what they each might be like in the future. I think the leader of the three will be Kanako, and that she will be the one most likely to react to any number of things in a considerably aggressive manner of them all. She will bear watching in the future, without any doubt at all in my own mind, at least."

The two young women conversed for at least a little while longer with each other. Even as they either had banana splits or had tea while reading for at least a little while, in fact. This then continued for at least twenty or so minutes, if not more, but not much longer than that, in any case at all. Motoko finished her tea and gathered up her reading materials just before Kaolla finished her banana-filled treat or treats, and left the kitchen a few minutes before Kaolla did the same.

Kaolla wished her a good night, and soon left the kitchen as well for her own room elsewhere in the Apartments' main building. After that, Kaolla soon climbed into one of the various trees in her room, and lay on one of its thicker branches, just before falling asleep not long after then laying supine on it well enough for a long enough period of time.

* * *

The following day, during everyone's breakfasts, Keitaro eventually said, "Everyone, we most likely will be getting some new people coming in within the next week, if not sooner. And possibly even much sooner than that. Shinobu, we will need to start outfitting a few spare rooms for their use while they are here, of course. Do you think you might have time to help me with their rooms at least a little bit today or not?"

It was now Sunday, January 13, 1991, and Keitaro had just asked Shinobu this, not long after an unexpected pre-breakfast call from Grandma Hina while almost everyone else was still asleep in their respective rooms for the Hinata Apartments. Grandma Hina had called directly to his room, and they talked very quietly on the phone, so as not to potentially wake up anyone who was still sleeping anywhere in them, for that matter. After the conversation with his grandmother finally ended, he began considering various possibilities for those potential new temporary tenants, in terms of what rooms they might best be assigned to while they still stayed on the Apartments' grounds.

Shinobu thought for a while, and said, "I believe that I do have time to do so, in fact. At least for a little while, anyway. But I might not be able to handle several of those things well enough, you know, for the obvious reasons."

"I know. That's why I have decided to ask Shirai and Haitani to help us with the preparation of those rooms. Don't look at me funny, Motoko, for I know what you're thinking now, from my own personal experience. But they both still owe me for certain naughty pranks that they've ever played on me in the past, and I fully intend to collect at least some decent level of recompense on at least one of them somehow, if I possibly can. Besides, perhaps I can somehow actually teach them both a real good lesson, when it comes to appropriate treatment of young ladies."

"The day that ever somehow happens easily enough, the Sun will then be blue, and the moon will then be green," said Naru.

Kaolla said, "You've seen the red moon any number of times around here, Naru, I'm sure. So you know very strange things can often happen around here, I know. If Keitaro thinks he can actually teach them a lesson that they won't soon forget, then I think that he should be allowed to try at least once, if not more than that."

Naru considered that, and said, "Kaolla, his friends are perverts, just like Keitaro. And they're male, for that matter. Why should we let them invade our Apartments for more than a little while?"

"Because I currently have full charge of them, Naru," said Keitaro. "And if I want them here, then I have every right, within reason, to allow them to be here, as long as they don't act up too much, you see. Of course, if you want to leave, and take your stuff with you, then I might just allow them to move into 304 permanently, for that matter."

"That's my room!"

"Not if you're not here as a tenant, it isn't, Naru-san," said Keitaro.

Shinobu then began to get at least a little upset here and now. Which Keitaro soon saw well enough. And he then said, once he had done so well enough here, "Shinobu, sit down. This is not the proper time for you to get too angry at Naru."

"Senpai, she's bucking you again, no doubt."

"I know, Shinobu. But I need you to remain calm. I definitely will need your help today, at least. And you getting too angry at Naru here and now will make it at least a little bit harder for us to actually get everything done that we'll all need to do before our new temporary tenants get here in the very near future. If not a lot harder, in fact. I can handle Naru for now, I think. Let me do so to the best of my ability, okay?"

"Senpai, this isn't right."

"Don't make me have to get after both of you here somehow, please, Shinobu. I really don't want to, of course, as you should already know quite well by now."

"Fine, Senpai. You win. But I still don't like it, you know."

"I understand that, Shinobu. But I am still able to handle her well enough by myself, I think, at the present time. If that ever somehow changes, then I'll deal with that fact as the need might eventually arise for me to do just that at the particular time in question for us both. Meaning both her and me, at least, of course, that is. Until then, please do nothing needlessly against her or anyone else who might be here at any particular time, if you can possibly avoid somehow doing so here at all."

"I'll try, Senpai. But I can't make you any better promises than that right now, at least as it pertains to Naru, at least, if not anyone else as well," said Shinobu, a few moments of relative silence later, if not even later than that.

Keitaro studied her face for a few moments, and then said, "As I stated a little while ago, Shirai and Haitani are going to be helping me with the preparations of some rooms for our new temporary tenants to stay in. While we are preparing the rooms in question, then, it would most certainly be to your mutual benefits, most likely, for several of you to temporarily vacate the premises, so that they both don't actually get any wacked-out ideas while they're both still here. Motoko and Naru, I am placing you in charge of Kaolla and Mitsune, and I do not want any of you four to be present here on these grounds for at least three hours after my friends get here. Here is a large wad of cash that you four may use as you see fit, where possible and appropriate enough, during your mutual outing with each other today. I had better not actually see any alcohol coming back with you all when you return, for once, unless it is on a grocery list that Shinobu gives you before you leave. When we all are finally done preparing each of the necessary rooms as appropriate, to a sufficient enough degree, we'll then call you and let you know that it is okay for you girls to come back here again."

"Who are you putting in charge of the money, then, Urashima?"

"I am placing that duty on you, Motoko. Guard it well, especially against Mitsune. Kaolla, nothing that can go 'boom-boom-boom,' please, if you don't mind. I don't mind if you get books or something else, as long as whatever you might get doesn't have the potential to do anyone major bodily harm, for instance."

"And what of us?" asked Naru.

"The amount that I gave you is money that I've saved up for at least a little while, if not a long while, towards something major I was going to do, but will not be able to do, in the near future. I was considering the idea of pitching several of my more intelligent ideas to various animation studios and/or manga publishers in the near future. But certain things have happened that are going to delay that sort of thing for at least a little while, if not a long while. If you ladies might then want to use the money to buy yourselves dresses for at least one dance, then by all means use at least some of the provided money to do so, at a certain location I found not long ago after one of my recent trips due to you and Motoko, for instance. Also, there is some money there that I want you to use to collect dresses for Shinobu and Mutsumi to wear later, for that matter. I have been offered a good-sized discount on a collection of dresses for each of you, in fact, and each should work fairly well with the appropriate girl that a particular dress would be for."

"I don't understand, Keitaro," said Mitsune.

"I landed inside a dress shop in Tokyo's Azabu Juuban neighborhood during one of my recent flights courtesy of Naru sometime last month, Mitsune. And the owner of the applicable dress shop had great compassion for me, and she offered me several dresses for a considerably-reduced overall price, once I told her how I'd landed in her shop well enough not too much later. She had been in danger of losing her store, in fact, before I landed in it like I did. However, my often-sudden flights had begun to get even closer and closer to her store's location, periodically. And the day before I landed in her store, she had quite unexpectedly been served with an official notice of imminent eviction from her store's premises due to non-payment of certain required fees, et cetera."

"But?" asked both Motoko and Kaolla, together.

"Motoko and Kaolla, the day that I landed in her store, she did the most business that she'd been able to do over the past three years in her store's current location. I helped her out greatly, even with the matter of fixing the hole I'd left in her store's roof, and with my assistance in dealing with the customers that patronized her store after I'd suddenly landed in it as I had. In very sincere thanks, she then expressed her great compassion for me by not only seeing to my injuries sustained when I'd crash-landed through her store's roof, but also by offering me several dresses for a considerably-reduced price that I just told you all about here and now. Not only that, she offered to provide me with twelve considerably-discounted very special formal outfits over a year-long period, starting from the first time I requested one such outfit until the same calendar date for the following calendar year. In fact, among the things that I will want you four to pick up, if you go to that store, while you're out, is one of those outfits, for that matter. Ask for Shiori, and tell her that her now-chief benefactor Keitaro Urashima now requires one of those very special outfits sight-unseen by anyone but her until it gets here to me, by the way. It must remain such until the container then holding it is in my possession sufficiently well, ladies. If it is not, then certain unpleasant things might possibly happen, just so you know."

"These dresses. How will we know that they will work well enough for each of us, for sure, then?" asked Kaolla.

"Her outfits never fail to do so. They are always perfectly fitted automatically, once made and worn by the necessary party or parties in their lives. They even have been known to modify themselves as the need or desire for them to do so might then strike them or their wearers, for that matter. Also, she knows your current vital numbers, body-wise, from my telling her of them. Yes, I actually do know all of your current vital numbers, body-wise, for all of the obvious reasons here and now, ladies. While I didn't tell her everything about each of you, of course, I still told her all those specific vital numbers as they each applied to you ladies at the time of my landing in her shop, just the same."

"Those numbers should have been all kept private, Senpai, if at all possible."

"Yes, they should have. But apparently I had hit my head on the floor a lot harder then than I had originally thought I had, Shinobu. Which possibly caused me to reveal those numbers to her, as she was then trying to attend to my various multiple injuries as of that time, I strongly suspect. At least some of the events of that day and evening are still at least somewhat hard, if not considerably hard, for me to remember well enough, it seems, unfortunately."

Keitaro talked for at least a little while longer with his five current tenants here and now, just before they all eventually began to go about their required business, whether by choice or not. Shinobu was soon left alone with Keitaro, just minutes before Shirai and Haitani then showed up on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, as expected. Keitaro and Shinobu soon put them to very serious work tasks indeed in various areas of the property, and most especially in the main building on it for the rooms that the prospective tenants would soon likely occupy in it.

Whenever Haitani and Shirai were apparently then thinking of perhaps messing around a little, and maybe even do at least a little snooping in various places all over the main building, they were often soon presented with a whole lot more work in it and/or anywhere else on the Apartments' grounds. Of course, it was courtesy of either Keitaro or Shinobu, if not both of them, at a particular time, whenever they were somehow actually caught trying to do so well enough, or at least actually thinking of doing so well enough. Needless to say, then, Keitaro and Shinobu really made them work very hard all over the grounds, in the very strong mutual hopes that both of them would perhaps get much too tired, at least, to actually be able to do whatever they both might have actually wanted to do a lot while they were both still on them, in fact. By the time that both Keitaro and Shinobu finally called an end to things at the present time, work-wise, for at least the rest of the day, then, for everyone here and now, the sun was fairly close to the visible western horizon, and within one hour of beginning to set, in fact. Both Masayuki and Kimiaki were quite tired indeed by that time. And both were not feeling all that hot at the current time, so to speak. For Keitaro and Shinobu had worked them both very, very, very, very, very hard indeed, and neither young man was liking that fact very much at all, for all the obvious reasons, of course.

Eventually, Shinobu and Keitaro made their helpers a five-course meal in return for all the work that they'd just done anywhere on the Apartments' grounds. When that five-course meal was then sufficiently consumed, Keitaro said, "If you two behave well enough in the future around me and the various tenants here, there may be other times when you will be allowed to partake in meals here alongside us, at least. If nothing else as well. We will not tell the others that you periodically tried to snoop in various tenants' rooms at this time, as long as you behave yourselves well enough around us in the future. If you do not, then I would perhaps recommend that you make sure that your houses are in order, legally-speaking, at least, for certain tenants of mine may not take too kindly to such notions as you two have been known to entertain before in your lives. I would really hate to see either or both of you perhaps eliminated from this world due to your actions, at least, if not also your words, Masayuki and Kimiaki. For I consider you my best male friends in this life, you see. I do not want to have to attend any potential funerals for you if there is no justified reason for them, in fact. So please behave yourselves around me and my tenants as best as you can in the future. I may not be able to protect you otherwise, you two. I can withstand people's attacks to at least some degree, but you two won't be able to withstand full-strength attacks from either Motoko or Naru, most likely. So you'd best watch your step in the future around me and my tenants, for that matter."

"We both will most definitely try, Keitaro," said Masayuki, eventually, after much relatively quiet conversation with Kimiaki, just a little ways away from both Shinobu and Keitaro here. "We realize we may make mistakes periodically, though. But we both will still try our hardest not to cause you any unnecessary other trouble in the future. Especially when it comes to your female tenants, at least, if not also your male ones."

Shinobu briefly consulted with Keitaro here, and then said, "That is fair enough, at least for now, we suppose. But you two will both still be watched very closely in the future, just the same, until we are sufficiently certain that you have each changed your ways sufficiently well for a long enough period of time in all our lives."

"Understood, Maehara-san," said Kimiaki, just a few very quiet moments later, after somehow seeing sufficiently well that she was quite serious indeed about what she'd just said both to him and to Masayuki here and now, in fact.

Not too much later, then, Keitaro and Shinobu eventually sent both of Keitaro's friends away again, for at least the rest of the night, if not even longer than that. And they soon called the rest of the primary tenants as they'd earlier arranged to do with them all just before they'd all left for their trip far enough away from the Hinata Apartments for the day. After they both did that well enough, they then spent at least some, if not a lot of, time alone together in the hot springs, with each of them wearing swimsuits in them as then was actually quite appropriate for them both, quite naturally enough. Shinobu then wore a mostly blue swimsuit that bore several small cooking-style symbols of various colors and looks in various places all over it. While Keitaro then wore a pair of mostly red and orange swimming trunks that also bore several arts-related symbols all over it, wherever possible and appropriate enough for it.

They relaxed in the hot springs near each other for a while, and conversed for a while with each other as they did so. Shinobu asked, somewhat early on, when they began chatting with each other there, "Senpai, would you please tell me at least a little bit about the prospective tenants that we will likely be getting here at the Apartments very soon?"

"I think I can do that, Shinobu. But please keep this under your apron, so to speak, until I have a chance to tell the others about them well enough too."

"Fair enough, I suppose, Senpai. So who are they, and what are they like, perhaps, if you know enough about them to tell me now about them?"

"There are four currently-engaged people among the six prospective tenants we might get soon here. Two of them are females, and the rest are males. Three of the males are triplets, and the other three prospective tenants are each single-birth people. There will be four Americans, one Scot, and one Israelite among the six prospective tenants."

"How old are each of them, then?"

"Four of them are college juniors, and two are in their first years of college. You can perhaps figure out their approximate ages, then, from that information, I think."

"The triplets are all college juniors, right?"

"Yes, that is so, Shinobu. The triplets currently in question here are Rufus, Cyrus, and Willis Bardstar. Rufus is one of the two engaged males I just mentioned. His fellow triplets are currently unattached to anyone, romantically speaking, at least. Rufus is currently engaged to a girl named Shenali Webb, and they plan to marry each other in the very near future, it seems. The other confirmed couple among the prospective tenants consists of Bruce Munro, the Scot, and Moriah Garedenel, the Israelite," said Keitaro, as he sipped from a cup of tea near him in the hot springs area now.

"So Webb and the Bardstar triplets are all Americans, no doubt?"

"Yes, they're all Americans, Shinobu. They all come from somewhere in the Midwestern United States, and have been close to each other for many years, even from their high school days, if I'm not too mistaken here, at the very least. Rufus and Shenali have been dating each other since they were 14 and 13 respectively. Cyrus and Willis used to each date an unknown number of Shenali's friends, but never were able to establish lifelong romantic relationships with any of them, for reasons not yet revealed to me here, if they'll ever be revealed to me in the future, well enough."

"What about Munro and Garedenel, then?" asked Shinobu, as she reached for a few cookies near her at the present time.

"They met each other as children, but spent most of their lives apart until they were close to finishing high school in their lives. Not more than a few months, perhaps, after they regained regular enough contact with each other in their lives, they then began seeing each other. By the time that they finally finished high school with each other, about seven months or so ago, they ultimately decided to get engaged to each other. They got engaged to each other not more than a week, perhaps, after they got done with high school well enough. And they then did so, even though at least some, if not a lot, of their respective friends and/or relatives didn't really like the idea of them doing so all that much so early in their own lives. And they now plan to marry sometime in the near future, if at all possible. Neither Bruce nor Moriah have dated anyone else but each other in their lives, as far as I know. They were never really interested well enough in other people to do just that in them, Shinobu."

"I see. So how are we going to make sure that the others don't cause any trouble with our prospective tenants, once they get here, if at all possible, then, Senpai?"

"I really don't know, entirely, in truth, Shinobu. Other than by me perhaps generally barring normal alcohol beverage consumption for everyone who's not yet of age in their respective countries of origin to do just that, and by also restricting the use of the hot springs to certain hours for each gender, I really don't know."

"Mitsune will not like that, you know."

"Then she'll be dealt with as I might actually see fit, if she decides to cause trouble related to such an idea, of course, Shinobu. You see, I think Mitsune's drinking has all-too-often led to many undesired, and many unwarranted, attacks on my person ever since I first got here to be this place's manager of record. I have no desire to normally take unscheduled and unjustified flights courtesy of either Naru or Motoko, if not both of them, due to her actions, if I don't absolutely have to do so at all, any longer, for sure. If she doesn't actually like the idea much, if at all, then I'm just going to have to eventually give her an ultimatum, I very strongly suspect, which says, in essence, 'If you don't like the fact that normal underage alcoholic beverage consumption here will no longer be permitted, generally speaking, Mitsune, then you know where the front doors are for the Hinata Apartments. And you can then choose to leave at any time, if you don't actually want to follow the applicable new rules for the Hinata Apartments well enough. I won't be subjected needlessly any longer to the all-too-frequent consequences of your still-underage alcoholic beverage consumption if I don't absolutely have to. You can then choose to leave or to stay, of course. But if you actually do choose to stay, then you most definitely will be expected to follow the new Hinata Apartments rules about such things, or face the appropriate consequences of your actions.'"

"And that's not all the changes you may be thinking of making around here while they're here, right, Senpai?"

"No, of course not, for all the obvious reasons here and now. There most certainly will be more changes made than just the elimination of needless underage alcoholic beverage consumption or the new rules regarding the use of the hot springs, of course. There then will also be certain penalties for violations of the new Hinata Apartments' rules, if and whenever necessary and appropriate, for that matter. Any unnecessary violence against the residents or manager of this place will be dealt with as the need arises for the guilty party or parties, subject to certain appropriate and necessary limits just set by Grandma Hina, at least, wherever and whenever possible, in fact, Shinobu. For instance, such hostile actions could potentially involve the local police and any number of other people, at least. And they could also potentially lead to actual permanent expulsion from the Hinata Apartments' entire grounds and/or their immediate or general vicinity, at least, if things would ever get that serious around here, somehow, for sure."

Shinobu and Keitaro continued to spend time alone with each other in the hot springs, and often continued to converse with each other as they did so, quite naturally enough. They were able to relax for at least an hour, if not at least twice that, until Shinobu suddenly heard, from quite some distance away, the voices of their now-returning fellow residents for the dorm. "Oh, great. They're just about to get here, Senpai. I very strongly suggest that you leave the hot springs in very short order, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Kaolla and Motoko now are, at most, just about two more minutes away from the main doors here, perhaps. And Naru and Mitsune are not all that far behind them both, as well, for that matter."

Keitaro needed absolutely no further urging whatsoever here and now from her to actually get out of the hot springs and flee just as quickly as he possibly could right into the changing room, of course. "Shinobu-chan, you'll have to collect our things here, of course, you know."

"No problem, Senpai. Get under sufficient cover as quickly as you can, and I'll delay them for as long as I can, then," called Shinobu, even as Keitaro essentially exploded out of the hot springs and headed straight for the changing room with no delay whatsoever as he did so.

By the time that her fellow female tenants finally located Shinobu well enough, she was calmly relaxing again in the hot springs, and hiding a moderately small notepad of some sort inside a very secret waterproof pouch somewhere under her swimsuit. She was also laying on her back, floating somewhat pleasantly on the top of the water, and acting as if she basically had no real cares at the present time in her own life, for that matter. Her face was generally straight-faced, with perhaps traces of a dreamy feeling then threatening to show on it at least a little bit, if not a lot, when Kaolla was the very first of her fellow female tenants to find her in the hot springs well enough.

Kaolla and the other girls soon joined Shinobu in the hot springs area for the Apartments, quite naturally enough. And Naru eventually asked, "Are the new rooms ready for all our prospective tenants now, by any chance, Shinobu?"

"At least for the most part, if not entirely, they are, Naru. Shirai and Haitani were quite helpful today, in fact. We kept them in line, for sure, though it wasn't always all that easy for us to do that, as you might expect. They should be much better behaved around Keitaro and the rest of us for quite some length of time into the future, I believe, for that matter."

The five girls soaked for at least a little while with each other before Shinobu said, "I suppose I'd best start getting dinner ready for us all, then, girls. I trust you will excuse me now, for that matter."

"Very well, Shinobu. But don't go sneaking off to Keitaro's room just to be with him. You're hiding something, no doubt. And it is very big indeed, it seems, from the tone of your voice at present," said Naru.

"I have a right to my own secrets, no matter who or what they concern, do I not, Naru? Just like the rest of you do too, I'm sure."

"That is true, but Keitaro is potentially big trouble for all of us here. And especially for still-young girls like you, for instance, Shinobu."

"You know that's not true, Naru. Senpai is precious, like a rare jewel. If I didn't actually care for him as much as I do, I'd perhaps really be of a mind to thrash you seriously, if it's somehow actually possible for me to do just that with you here or anywhere else, by the way. But Senpai has asked me not to actually get after you at least for now, if not also for a very long time into the future. At least not physically, anyway, that is. As I really do care for him here and now very much in my own mortal life, I then will honor his still-recent request here about such an idea to the very best of my current and future ability. Even if various parts of me honestly do want to get after you very much and very severely indeed, in truth. I believe that I'd really like to somehow take you to the cleaners, so to speak, if I could. But that's not how Senpai would want me to act around you, if it could possibly ever somehow be avoided at all, you see."

"You can't have him, Shinobu. He's too old for you," said Motoko.

"Oh, and you aren't mad about Jackie Chan, who's many years older than Senpai, if I'm not too mistaken, Motoko? I've heard you in your sleep saying his name every so often, as if you really wanted to be with him as his girlfriend or wife, in fact."

"You're bluffing, Shinobu-chan," said Motoko.

"And he's not the only action hero that you've been interested in, for that matter, come to think of it. You also like Jean-Claude Van Damme, for instance. And Jet Li, among any number of others, to boot."

"How do you know this, if that's true, as well, then?"

"Because you've periodically left random doodles of them sticking out of your dresser, believe it or not, and I've seen them at least every so often while collecting everyone's laundry here, by the way, Motoko-senpai. That's how I know you do. You also have hidden pictures and poems about them under your futon at times, for that matter, sticking out from under it at least a little bit. While the others might not see them whenever you do, I know your habits quite well by now. You might be able to generally hide all those things sufficiently well from everyone else, at least most of the time, if not all the time. But you generally are not able to hide them like that from me, in fact. Before you get all upset, and accuse me of prying into your private affairs needlessly, just remember if you don't hide certain things well enough, they will often be found by those who you would rather not want to find those things out well enough, or detect well enough. I don't generally go about here and snoop, as you know, unlike Kaolla and/or Mitsune, for instance. So don't get all upset with me here. You leave your stuff out in plain sight, you risk others finding it, of course."

"Point taken, Shinobu. I suppose I then will have to do a much better job of hiding my things from now on, if at all possible, from anywhere you might be able to find them easily enough."

"That would be wise, if you can somehow manage to do just that, Motoko. Especially considering the fact that we have at least two, if not more than two, rather frequent snoopers with us here in the Apartments, of course. You've obviously been slipping, though, in your security."

"Perhaps I have, Shinobu. Probably due to that male's continued presence here, I suppose."

"He has a name, you know. You know it as well as the rest of us do, in fact, Motoko. And he is not leaving just because you can't stand the thought of him being here. His grandmother made him the manager here. And I believe that neither you nor any of the rest of us here will be able to get him removed from that position here easily enough. And, to be totally honest here, I never want to see him leave here needlessly, if it can possibly ever be avoided at all. No matter what, I don't want him to be forced to leave here needlessly, either."

"That male is disgusting, from time to time, Shinobu," said Motoko.

"He is here, and he is staying here, at least for the foreseeable future. You know this as well as the rest of us probably do. If you don't like it, I'm sure that he'd say, in time, 'You're more than welcome to leave here, if you feel that you can't stand being in my dormitory well enough any longer, Motoko. I won't make you stay, if you feel you have to go. But if you stay, you then will have to accept the fact that I am going to stay here for as long as I see fit, to the best of my ability here and now, at least. The choice of whether you go or stay is yours, at least at the present time, unless you force my hand too much at any time. Act up too much, and you might be evicted, with no chance of ever returning here again as a tenant.' Among other things he might perhaps stay, if you cause too many problems for him sometime in the future, I think."

"He wouldn't evict Motoko from here, Shinobu," said Naru.

"He would have every right to do just that, Narusegawa. Considering the fact that Motoko Aoyama has often attacked him without just cause here and elsewhere, he most certainly would be well within his rights to actually evict her from the Apartments here, if and whenever he might feel the need to do just that well enough. Whether or not it was permanently or only temporarily, he still actually would be here, in fact. And the same thing might very well also be said in relation to you and to Konno here, at least."

"And what of Kaolla, then, Shinobu?" asked Mitsune.

"She might be allowed to stay, because she's still a kid, it seems to me, Mitsune. And she's never actually treated him quite as bad as you, Aoyama, and Narusegawa have so far quite often been known to do around here, you know."

"What do you know of such things, Shinobu?" asked Naru.

"More than you seem to realize. You are in a very precarious situation indeed at present, Narusegawa. For your own good here and now, I'd strongly suggest that you just shut up for the rest of the night unless you absolutely have to speak. You are just about to get me after you big-time, it seems. And I really don't want to have to break my promise to Senpai here regarding certain things that pertain to both of us here and now. In fact, I don't want to hear a word needlessly for at least the rest of the night from you, if not even longer than that. If I do, then you may very well regret it very much. Aoyama, you too are on my major mad list, for all the obvious reasons. Konno, I will deal with you later, if you give Senpai too much more trouble in the very near future, as well, for that matter."

Shinobu then left the hot springs area behind in very short order without even another look or word at Motoko, Naru, and Mitsune here, so that she could dress and start making supper for everyone who was now at the Hinata Apartments. Those three consulted with each other very quietly indeed for a while after Shinobu left them in the hot springs, before leaving it for the changing area, for the obvious reasons here and now. Mitsune said, "Oh, great. Just what we need! Shinobu mad at us all, if I read her well enough at the present time."

"Shinobu's not all that mad at me right now, at least, Mitsune," said Kaolla. "At least I don't think she is, anyway."

"No, kiddo, I don't think she is. But she's really steamed, it seems, at the rest of us girls around here," said Mitsune.

"And don't you think you three might have pushed her a bit too far with your still-recent activities against Kei-Baby of late?"

"She would not hurt a fly if she could possibly ever help it, somehow, in her own life, Kaolla-chan," said Motoko.

"Maybe not, but she hates it when you attack Kei-Baby quite often when he doesn't truly deserve punishment, Motoko. Same thing with Naru. She is really getting quite sick and quite tired of it, it seems to me, at least at the current time. She really looked almost ready to go after Naru not more than fifteen or so minutes ago, I believe. If I were you three, I would really advise you all to lay as low as you each possibly can for at least the next week or two, if not even longer than that. Or else you might just come to regret it very much indeed. And frankly, I wouldn't blame her if she got after you very strongly indeed very soon for mistreating Kei-Baby like you three often do."

"You're just as guilty of attacking him as we are, Kaolla," said Naru.

"True, I test quite a lot of things on him often without fair enough warning, for sure. But I never have any real malice for him whenever I attack him with my various inventions, et cetera. However, both you and Motoko, at least, seem to bear great malice to him quite often at the present time in both your lives, Naru. Mitsune, you have got to stop using him as your own personal bank, among other things, as well. Kei-Baby doesn't need you to extort his money any longer, either. Especially if he ever actually makes it into Tokyo University someday, I think. He'll need that money, most likely, if he ever does get in, with or without him ever finding his promise girl, it seems."

"That guy isn't smart enough to actually get into Tokyo University anytime in the near future, if ever, I suspect, Kaolla-chan. If he ever makes it in, somehow, I'll then do something big, whatever it might be, every day for at least a week, if I must, wherever and whenever possible," said Naru.

"You must be out of your mind to do that, Naru-senpai," said Motoko.

"I don't think I'll have to be all that concerned with that being the case anytime soon, Motoko," said Naru.

"We'll see, Naru-senpai," said Kaolla. "But I, for one, am going to try to be at least somewhat more fair to him in the future, at least in terms of the potential bodily harm that my various inventions might possibly cause to him, somehow, just the same. At least for a while, if not permanently, that is, anyway."

Kaolla soon left the hot springs area behind, so that she could be sufficiently ready for supper, among other things, once it was done well enough. She quickly dressed, and then went to the living room area for a while, so as to try to enjoy herself a little bit there. Kaolla spent about ten or so minutes, at the very least, then playing a video game of some sort, until she suddenly heard Shinobu calling everyone in the range of her voice to supper, no matter who they were. Mere seconds later, then, she saved her current game, and hurried to the main kitchen/dining room area for the Hinata Apartments. Kaolla leapt to her seat just as soon as she was through the necessary doorway well enough, quite naturally enough, of course.

Supper on the current night was very quiet indeed, given the very simple fact that Shinobu was still very upset indeed with at least Naru, if not also Motoko and/or Mitsune, here and now. Shinobu then shared as little conversation with each of the three aforementioned young women as she possibly could here and now, for that matter, in fact. Eventually, everyone finished having their own respective suppers with each other. And most, if not all, of them then parted from each other for the rest of the night, at least, if not for even longer than that. Keitaro soon put all three triplets back to bed in his own room and under sufficient enough protection there, even if he wasn't always in the same room with them in his life, quite naturally enough.

* * *

Once that was done in all the necessary ways well enough, he soon decided to go for a bit of a walk elsewhere in the Hinata City local area before bed. He had originally planned to go alone, but just before he was about to leave the main building in order to do that well enough, Shinobu decided to call out to him, and ask him to wait for her. When Kitsune shot her a rather questioning look, Shinobu gave her a very serious look indeed perhaps saying, in essence, "Not a word of this to the others, or else you might eventually come to regret it greatly." Kitsune saw the extreme seriousness of Shinobu's look towards her here and now, and nearly flinched under her unwavering gaze here. She then did this for at least a little while here, just before ultimately deciding to nod full acknowledgement of that look from Shinobu, seeing as she was quite serious indeed here and now, without any doubts whatsoever at all. After Kitsune did so well enough to suit Shinobu sufficiently well here and now, Shinobu then collected her coat and donned it in very short order, as Keitaro waited for her near the front doors of the main building, and just inside them, of course.

Two minutes or so later, then, both Keitaro and Shinobu walked out the two main doors for the Apartments' main building with each other. They both spent at least ten minutes after that, if not even longer than that, just walking near each other in relative silence before Shinobu finally spoke again, as they both then passed by a store normally selling art supplies of various kinds for reasonable enough prices.

Shinobu said, "The others probably won't like the idea of other males staying at the Apartments much, I think, Senpai."

Keitaro nodded, and said, "At least two of them, if not more of them, won't, anyway, Shinobu-chan. But they'll still have to accept it, just the same, I'm quite sure, for the obvious reasons."

"So do you think they'll all like their potential rooms in the Apartments, if they each actually get to stay in them later, Senpai?"

"I hope so, Shinobu. However, we were not fully able to outfit them all as necessary, you know. They will each have to do that themselves, quite obviously enough."

"That's true, I suppose. I hope that we'll all become good friends with them all, just the same, though, Senpai."

The two of them soon decided to enter a little bookstore of some sort and browse for a while out of the current cold temperatures moving through the Hinata City local area for a little while. Shinobu and Keitaro browsed for at least a little while, if not a long while. And hey both even were somehow able to pick up some things that they'd both actually not expected to be able to find easily enough at the current time, much to their respective surprises, in fact. She unexpectedly was able to pick up some mystery novels that she'd been wanting to read for a considerably long time, for example, among various other things. While Keitaro was himself somehow able to unexpectedly pick up various science fiction novels that he'd not yet been fortunate enough to read easily enough in his own mortal life, among several other things as well.

After they each picked up at least a few novels each, they soon left the store behind and continued to walk around the local area with each other for a while. "What else might you know about our prospective tenants, then, Senpai?"

"Well, I don't know all that much more, if anything, about them at the current time, I think, Shinobu-chan. For me to know much more about them, it will perhaps require them to be in my presence often enough for at least as long as they each are still staying with us at the Apartments, for the obvious reasons."

"I see. I've been wondering what they're all going to be like quite a bit ever since you mentioned them possibly coming here to stay at the Apartments for a while, in fact, this morning."

"Hopefully we'll all get along quite well with them all, and vice verse, while they're still all here, you know, Shinobu-chan." Keitaro soon looked at his watch, and said, "I suppose we'd best get back to the Apartments in short order, Shinobu. Remember, you have school tomorrow, if I'm not too mistaken here, and it's nearly 10:15 at night, it seems to me."

"True, I do. But it won't hurt me too much if we don't get back in there by 11, it seems to me here and now, at least. Just let me stay out with you for at least a little while longer, Senpai. If I go back now, I don't think I will be able to be sufficiently calmed down before I finally go to bed tonight. Narusegawa has really ticked me off today, you see. And I really don't want to return there before I know she's quite likely to be asleep in her own bed tonight. If I see her, somehow, I then just might unintentionally forget my still-recent promise to you not to actually act against her right now, at least physically, if not in any other ways whatsoever, I believe. And that would not bode all that well for anyone there or anyone else here in the local area, most likely."

Keitaro said, "You were never this outspoken about such things, it seems to me, Shinobu."

"Maybe not. But I still really hate it very much indeed, for sure, whenever you actually get thrashed somehow quite needlessly by at least two, if not more, of the other four current residents at the Apartments, Senpai. Granted, I know that sometimes you do make mistakes which might actually require periodical disciplining of yourself. But, still, I really think that they shouldn't necessarily get after you quite as much and quite as severely as they often do with you."

The two of them conversed for a while longer about various things before they finally decided to start heading back to the Apartments with each other. On the way back, the two of them decided to do a little bit of food shopping, just in case they might not be able to do so later on, for whatever reason or reasons, in the near future. They soon bought at least a week's worth of food, if not more than that, for the obvious reasons here and now. Both of them eventually returned to the Apartments with each other, and began to store all the purchases that they'd just made and not yet fully consumed wherever they then each needed to be, of course. It took them perhaps an hour, if even that, to finally do so well enough with all of them, after they arrived back at the Apartments with each other sometime around 11:15 or so at night. By the time that they arrived back at the Apartments well enough, then, the living room was completely empty, for Kitsune had long since retired to her own bed, as had the other three female tenants besides Shinobu of the Apartments, in terms of their own respective beds there.

As they put away all the necessary things in the common areas where needed and appropriate, they continued conversing at some length about any number of things and/or people, for that matter. Eventually, Shinobu said, "Senpai, I think I'd best get to my room soon. But I feel rather tired now, after all the stuff we did while we were out and about tonight."

"Do you want me to take you to your room, then, by any chance?"

"Not sure, Senpai." Just then, she started to sway a little bit near the main table in the main kitchen/dining area for the Apartments. Keitaro saw this, and quickly moved to keep her from hitting an edge of the table or the floor before it was too late to prevent her from doing either well enough.

"Shinobu, you're exhausted. That's it, I'm taking you to your bed, and putting you in it for the rest of the night. You've been up too long tonight, obviously." He quickly shifted not only his things to one side of himself, but also hers, while still holding her sufficiently up on his other side. After he did that, he put her on his back, and her arms around his shoulders and neck, before beginning to give her a piggy-back ride to her own room elsewhere in the Apartments. She began to drift off as he did so, and began to smile as she did so, in fact.

It wasn't too much longer, then, before he very silently indeed slid open her door and carried her to her own bed quite well enough. He very carefully then put her under her covers fully dressed, and tucked her just as carefully under them in her own bed. With that done, he then very quietly indeed placed her remaining inedible purchases in a certain place that he knew she often used as a hiding place elsewhere in her own room. After all her purchases were in that hiding place well enough, as needed and as appropriate, he soon left her room behind for the rest of the night. Of course, when he did so, she was still fully-dressed, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

Keitaro soon went to his room and secured his own inedible purchases in it wherever necessary and appropriate enough, of course. Once he was quite certain that nobody would be able to get into them who didn't need to do just that well enough somehow, he then went to the kitchen and quickly retrieved several bottles. He did this here, for he suddenly had the feeling that the triplets would all soon need to be fed and changed, et cetera, before he was finally able to retire to his bed for the rest of the night. He was back in his room with all the necessary things no more than five to ten minutes after leaving it to get them all. For about another hour or so, then, he attended to the various needs of all three triplets, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course.

They finally fell quite soundly asleep again in their respective cribs sometime around 1:45 or so in the morning of Monday, January 14, 1991. And once he was sufficiently sure that they'd not wake up again for at least the next few hours, if not even longer than that, he finally changed into his usual sleeping attire and climbed into bed, falling asleep almost immediately after his head finally hit his pillow well enough, quite naturally enough. And so he slept, quite soundly indeed, for that matter.

* * *

People, this is The Universal Storyteller now returning for a brief bit of conversation before I finally release this chapter to you all. I would really like to see where you think I'm going to go with this story, if you don't mind commenting on it sufficiently well in quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive ways, of course. Also, I would really like to know just which characters, if any, you might want to see more of in this story, for that matter, for example. Besides the obvious canon characters, at least, of course, everyone.

I am going to try to get the next chapter of this story out by the end of March, at the very latest, but hopefully much sooner than that, just the same, though. Expect to see a lot more action, especially after the new tenants finally show up for a while here, people. There are many more things to come for this story, and many more people who are likely to show in it, at least in cameos, if not even more frequently than just in cameos for this story. What those things or who those people might be is yet to be seen well enough. But you all can still rest quite assured indeed that there will be no shortage of real action or mystery in this story, if and whenever I can possibly prevent such a thing from happening here for it, for sure.

Well, I suppose I had best soon close this chapter's exit message for now, at least, and begin work on the next chapter of this particular story in very short order, for all the obvious reasons here and now. Until later, then, I hope you all do really enjoy this story, and gladly look forwards to what may then come to pass in it, of course. Not to mention the very distinct possibility that any or all of you readers here might then actually leave me any number of useful comments, either publicly or privately, about this latest chapter, at least. If not also about any or all of the previous or future segments, of this particular story, quite naturally enough, everyone. May you all fare quite well indeed, then, God willing, for sure. And may we all gladly and often meet again later at least once more anywhere in and/or around the Hinata Apartments, if and whenever possible, so to speak, in terms of this particular story, at least, you know. TUS out.


	4. Chapter 003:  New Battles? Part 001

Here is the real Chapter Three for _Not Always As Things Seem_, people. I hope you all really enjoy it, and do the appropriate and necessary things, if and whenever possible in the future, of course. With no further ado, then, I give you all Chapter Three of this story! TUS out!

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

Shortly thereafter:

* * *

No more than about another 48 hours or so later, in any case at all, Keitaro received a somewhat unexpected call from Grandma Hina again. She made some small talk with him for a little while, before then telling him to expect their new prospective tenants no later than 7 pm or thereabouts on the Hinata Apartments' grounds. Of course, Keitaro didn't give her any trouble as she was then talking to them on a phone somewhere for at least a little while, in fact. Hina said, "They should all arrive together with each other, Keitaro, out of St. Peter, Minnesota, through St. Louis, London, Jerusalem, and Peking, if I'm not too mistaken here. Be at Narita by no later than noon or so Tokyo time one or two days from now. They will call you once they are in Peking to let you know exactly when and where you will need to meet them, for your information. That is all for now, I suppose, then. Talk to you more later, if at all possible, of course."

Keitaro soon hung up the phone, and informed all of his current tenants of whatever things that he and Grandma Hina had just discussed, wherever and whenever he then had to do just that well enough here and now. He spent at least a little while discussing those things with those tenants of his, quite naturally enough. He did this at quite considerable length, in fact, shortly before he eventually informed them all of the brand-new rules that soon would normally be enforced, once the other prospective tenants first arrived on the Apartments' grounds well enough not too much after the present time here and now. As expected, Mitsune was very upset with the fact that she would no longer normally be allowed to consume any alcoholic beverages whatsoever while she was still underage, at least, by then-official Japanese law, for example.

Keitaro soon stated that he then would allow everyone a certain grace period before all those prospective tenants eventually arrived on the Apartments' grounds to do any number of soon-to-be prohibited things that they were often quite well-known for doing. But once all the prospective new temporary tenants eventually arrived there, in their respective hopes that they'd all be allowed to stay on them while they were temporary residents on them, further normally-prohibited actions might then require certain penalties and/or punishments to be levied against the guilty party or parties, as any potential future situation might then require, quite naturally enough, where and when appropriate enough for any or all of them, of course, anyway.

Not too much later, then, quite obviously enough, Mitsune quickly fled to her room, and began drinking quite a bit of her current stash of assorted alcoholic beverages, among other things, seeing as she wouldn't normally be allowed to do so, most likely, once the new tenants finally arrived on the Apartments' grounds well enough. Naru and Motoko began also taking out their frustrations on Keitaro for the soon-to-be changes in the Apartments' rules, as well, of course. They both chased him quite a bit all around the entire grounds for the Apartments, but still restrained themselves in the amounts of force they used while chasing him, for the good of the other tenants who would perhaps have been in much more danger than they now were, if they didn't actually do just that well enough, somehow.

Keitaro could have fought back at least a little bit more than he did during the periodical chases he was then part of, courtesy of at least Naru and Motoko, if not anyone else as well, perhaps, quite obviously enough. But he felt that things would perhaps be better for all concerned parties if he let at least two, if not more than two, of his current tenants burn off at least some, if not all, of their current anger with him, at least, if not also with Grandma Hina.

When Shinobu eventually stated that she really didn't like the idea much of him doing that here and now, he eventually said, "Shinobu, they most certainly need something or someone to take out their present frustrations on, at least at the current moment, if not also later. Please do not interfere, even if you feel they're getting after me quite unjustly here and now, as I'm quite sure you do, in fact. You are not to do anything at all except for what you normally have been known to do in any number of situations sufficiently like this." He was then in between times of being hunted by at least Naru or Motoko or anyone else, for that matter, when he said that to her well enough, in fact.

"Senpai, this isn't right, in truth."

"Maybe not, Shinobu. But it'll probably be much better for all concerned if they get all their frustrations, et cetera, out of the way before the prospective new tenants arrive here, I think. Listen, they're not actually going to kill me here and now, I'm quite sure, for all the obvious reasons. But I'm still probably going to be hurting at least a little bit, if not a lot, for a little while, at least, just the same, of course."

"Senpai, please don't let them do this to you."

"Sorry, Shinobu, no can do. Or at least not right now, anyway. I don't want to have to order you to not interfere, of course, but I will, if I must. Remember, you promised me that you would do nothing against Naru, at least for now, in at least a physical sense, if not also in any other senses as well."

"Not Motoko, though, if I remember well enough at present, though I could be wrong about that here, of course."

"You might be right, Shinobu, about that. But, still, whether that is the case or not for Motoko, at least, as well, please do not interfere with their attempts to deal with the imminent changes around here as best as they each can, just the same. No matter what, unless I say otherwise, do nothing else but what you normally do in situations sufficiently enough like this one. Okay?"

Shinobu thought for a while, at least, but finally said, "Very well, Senpai. I shall back off for now, at least, in this regard. But know this, as well. I may not do so forever, just so you know. There very well could eventually be a time when I can no longer somehow actually do so well enough to suit all necessary parties here well enough, no matter what I may feel for you or have promised to you at any time whatsoever."

"Understood. I realize even you have certain limits to your tolerance of certain things. But I really hope that things don't come to eventually force you to act against them as I believe at least one part of you seems to think that you should, of course, for all the obvious reasons, you know."

"And what if they want to get after you later for unjustified reasons, then, Senpai?"

"I'll then deal with it as needed, if needed, if and whenever possible. Or have someone else do so, if I can't."

"I really hope that you know what you're doing, then, Senpai."

"I may not, of course, but I still hope that I do, just the same. Remember, do nothing more than what you typically do in a situation like this, if you can possibly avoid doing so at all, at least for now, Shinobu."

"I will try, Senpai. But I won't like it, you know, watching you being attacked periodically in various ways without sufficient enough cause to be."

"You don't have to like it, Shinobu-chan. But you will still have to accept that for now, at least."

"Long-time habits won't just be broken in a very short period of time, normally, Senpai."

"I realize that. But certain things must still change here very soon. And the sooner that they do, the better, for all concerned parties, you know."

"Senpai, don't you realize that my heart always breaks more and more every single time that they generally treat you in the various needless ways that they often do without just cause?"

"That may be so, but don't you trust me to know what might be best for each and every one of my tenants to the best of my ability, Shinobu?"

"I DO trust you, Senpai. It's THEM I don't trust. And it's ME I don't really trust either. I really don't trust them much, and I really don't trust myself much, either, if I'm not too mistaken about such things in my life, for that matter. It's like there's a part of me who wants to act totally opposite to the Shinobu you all know, you see, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons to me, I think."

"I don't understand, Shinobu."

"It's like I might be two or more different people, come to think of it, somehow. I don't know how, though, that might be the case for me just yet, if I ever will."

"I still don't understand."

"Nor do I, Senpai. And it really scares me. What's wrong with me, if anything?"

"Nothing really that I can see at the moment, at least, Shinobu-chan. I could be wrong about that, though, of course, you know."

Eventually, Keitaro left Shinobu alone again, and spent at least some more time with each of his other four current tenants, if and whenever possible and appropriate. Or he did other things that might still need to be done around the Hinata Apartments' grounds prior to the prospective new tenants' arrivals on them, for that matter. Whether it was on the 15th, 16th, the 17th, or 18th of January 1991, he still did so, just the same.

* * *

Early on the morning of Friday, January 18, 1991, then, Keitaro received a call direct from Peking at about 8 am Tokyo time, more or less. One of the prospective new tenants called him, in fact. And they then introduced themselves as Rufus Bardstar, in English. They told him that they expected to be in Tokyo by no later than noon or so Tokyo time, if at all possible, just as Grandma Hina had earlier informed Keitaro during her most recent call to him. And that they and their companions all expected to be able to clear Customs well enough as needed by no later than an hour or two past that time.

Keitaro soon said, "Very well, I and at least one other person will come to pick you and your things up, then, as needed, Rufus-san."

"Very good, then, Urashima-san. We will expect to see you later, when we get through Customs well enough." Keitaro and Rufus continued to converse with each other for a little while longer, before Rufus eventually told Keitaro that he had to hang up the phone at that time.

Keitaro then hung up the phone not more than a few seconds later, and quickly got dressed in his room, for all the obvious reasons, due to the fact that he'd still been in his usual sleepwear at the time that Rufus had just called him up from Peking. He soon left his room, and began accounting for all of his tenants at the current time as necessary and as possible. Not to mention also briefly checking each of the rooms that the prospective new tenants might then occupy in the Apartments's main building, for that matter, at least once or twice each.

After breakfast, he then had his tenants draw straws from a fist, once he had prepared at least one short straw for his tenants to pick from well enough. Anyone who happened to then draw that straw, if not more than one such straw, would then have to accompany him when he went to gather up the prospective new tenants for the Apartments, in fact. Two of the five then drew such straws, While the other three did not. Those who did not draw short straws were quickly given some other tasks to attend to in Keitaro's absence. And those who were left behind would then be under the direct supervision of Haruka, by the way. The two that drew short straws were Motoko and Kaolla. And they were both soon warned that their prospective new tenants would most likely not stand for any unnecessarily foolish things, before they and Keitaro eventually left the Apartments' grounds to pick them up well enough. Seta came to collect them from the front steps of the Apartments' grounds, and then they were off to collect those prospective new tenants and their other things, quite naturally enough.

On the way there, Motoko and Kaolla inevitably asked about the prospective new tenants that Grandma Hina was sending to the Apartments. Keitaro soon said, "You will not like this at all one bit, I am sure, but she is going to allow several males to stay with us for a while. And I will not countermand her decision, either, Motoko. It is her decision to let them stay at the Apartments if enough tenants agree to let them stay there. If you don't like it, you can then go back to Kyoto where you came from, perhaps."

"Would they perhaps want to play with me, then, Kei-Baby?"

"I do not know yet, but I doubt that any of them will have as much durability as I do in relation to certain things that you've often done with me, or that Motoko or Naru have done with me. Also, they do not take too kindly to bullies. Or those who try to swindle people out of their money, et cetera. They do not drink, even if they are old enough to do so. Therefore, I am greatly restricting all normal alcoholic consumption for at least as long as they're all here to those who are legally of age in their respective countries of record, whether they're of their respective origins or citizenships, if the latter one or ones aren't the same as the former one or ones, Kaolla. If not even longer than that."

"Might there be permitted exceptions with your new alcoholic beverage-related policy for the Apartments?" asked Motoko.

"Possibly. But only if I decide to that effect, or if Grandma Hina does. Haruka would only be able to allow exceptions if either Grandma Hina or I allow her to, or unless she has to run the place for a while in our absences from the Apartments, Motoko."

"I see. What about for religious observances, for instance, then?" asked Motoko.

"Possibly permissible. But we'd have to see about them, perhaps on a case-by-case basis, to be fair enough, of course, you two."

Motoko and Kaolla considered that sort of thing for a while, and then Seta asked, "Where are these prospective new tenants from, Keitaro?"

Keitaro thought for a few moments, and then said, "Four are from the United States, one from Scotland, and one from Israel, Seta."

"And what are the minimum drinking ages in each of those countries, then?" asked Kaolla.

"I believe 18 in Israel, and 21 in the other two. Though I could be wrong about that, of course."

"I see. And how old are each of these prospective new tenants, then?" asked Motoko.

"Three will be 22, one will be 21 next week, one will be 20 next month, and one will be 19 on Sunday, two days from now, Motoko," said Keitaro.

"How many males will be among them?" asked Seta.

"Four. And two of them will be female."

"Five males in our dorm? It's bad enough that you are there, Urashima. But four more males in our dorm? This will not work!"

"What if two of them were engaged to the two females, then?"

"I don't understand, Urashima."

"There will be two couples with their members being prospective new tenants in the Apartments. Therefore, they will not necessarily be interested in trying anything with any of you, if they don't have to."

"Just how close are you talking about for couples, then, Kei-Baby?"

"Engaged-close. The other two males, however, seem to be unattached to anyone at present, at least romantically speaking."

"I see. Then perhaps they might just be interested in dating Motoko, for example?" asked Kaolla, in a somewhat teasing way.

"Kaolla-chan, I am not interested in dating ANY male if I do not absolutely have to in my life. At least at the present time in it, if ever," said Motoko.

"Motoko, no need to be a stick-in-the-swamp about males. You really must not be so afraid to be around males outside your family, I think."

"I believe the proper phrase is 'stick-in-the-mud,' Kaolla-chan," said Motoko. "And I am NOT afraid to be around males outside my family, as proved by my presence here with Urashima and Noriyasu-san."

"You are too. I know you don't really like men much, except for ones like Jackie Chan, for example, like Shinobu said earlier."

"Most, if not all, of them are just vile perverts, it seems to me, Kaolla-chan."

"Keitaro isn't a pervert, really. Or at least not for the most part, anyway, he's not, I think, upon further reflection. You are afraid of males, more often than not. And you hate the fact that your sister gave not only her heart, but her mind and body, to one of them, and claimed his swords for herself in time."

"He is not worthy of her, Kaolla-chan. And as far as I am concerned, at least right now, if not forever, he never will be."

"What of your father, then? Is he worthy of your mother?" asked Kaolla.

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Motoko.

"She took the last name you now bear. Without him, you would not be here, I'm sure. If they had not married, you would never have been here," said Kaolla.

"My mother was essentially forced to marry him instead of the man she really wanted to marry in her own life. She was a member of House Hino prior to her marriage, and she was in love with a young man from House Kumada. However, members of her House committed certain hostile acts towards House Aoyama, and as part of the reparations agreement later enacted, she was essentially forced to marry my father, a member of a higher-ranking House than House Kumada was then and is now."

"I don't understand, Motoko," said Keitaro.

"Long ago, there were several Houses of note in Japan, striving to control much, if not all, of it for as long as they could. The four most powerful Houses had at least a few sub-Houses each, if you will. The Aoyamas were part of one such powerful House. And there were many other sub-Houses in all four of the main Houses. House Aoyama itself was a member of the main House called House Kyoto. The other three main Houses were House Tokyo/Edo, House Sapporo, and House Hiroshima."

"How long ago?" asked Seta.

"Since at least sometime around AD 1460, by the Western calendar, I believe, if not even longer than that, Noriyasu-san," said Motoko. "House Kyoto had the Emperor at that time, until certain hostile actions by a number of people from three sub-Houses of House Tokyo/Edo led to the beginning of a period many now regard as the Feuding Houses Era in Japanese history. As far as we are able to gather, at least at the present time, the people who initiated events that led to the beginning of the FHE came from the House Tokyo/Edo sub-Houses of Narusegawa, Konno, and Hino, for that matter. For most of the next 400 years, then, officially speaking, more or less, the FHE then continued in sufficiently active existence, if and whenever possible."

"How does or did House Aoyama figure in such things?" asked Keitaro.

"House Aoyama was a major source of samurai and priest-type people for our main House's efforts to hold the Imperial Throne. We have been a major part of our main House for a very long time, even in times of peace. However, there have been many battles with other Houses of our knowledge, whether or not they're part of our main House, one of the other rival main Houses or their sub-Houses, or foreign invaders, quite naturally enough, of course, Urashima. House Aoyama, for instance, has had many incidents with House Urashima over the years, in truth."

"What other sub-Houses were or are part of House Kyoto, then?" asked Seta.

"From what I personally can recall at the moment, at least, besides House Aoyama, House Kyoto's sub-Houses were House Chiba, House Su, House Tenoh, House Kumada, and House Osaka, from highest-ranking to lowest-ranking. As for House Aoyama, it ranked, and ranks, between House Chiba and House Su in the main House's internal hierarchy, if I'm not too mistaken here, Noriyasu-san."

"What of the other main Houses' hierarchies? Do you know them reasonably well?" asked Keitaro.

"From what Mother has told me, if I remember correctly enough, her sub-House of House Tokyo/Edo ranked and ranks fourth in that House's hierarchy. Other sub-Houses of House Tokyo/Edo seem to be, from highest-ranking to lowest-ranking, below the Main House, Houses Urashima, Tsukino, Meioh, Narusegawa, Konno, Urawa, and Furuhata, it seems, Urashima."

"Okay, I suppose, then. What else do you know of the main Houses' hierarchies, by any chance at all?" asked Kaolla.

"It is rumored that both of the other two main Houses have four sub-Houses each. And that there are certain heirs or heiresses now extant, if those rumors have enough actual validity at the present time, for that matter," said Motoko.

"I see. And do you know who those heirs or heiresses might be, then?" asked Keitaro.

"Not beyond any reasonable enough doubt, Urashima. Or at least not at the current time, anyway, that is," said Motoko.

The conversation about various topics of interest at the present time continued until just before Seta parked the van where necessary on the airport's property, in fact. After which, they all soon exited the van, so as to meet the six new prospective tenants for the Hinata Apartments just as soon and as well as they then could, quite naturally enough.

Not too much later, then, the six prospective new tenants met Keitaro, Seta, Motoko, and Kaolla. They soon all introduced themselves to the four who came to collect them, for all the obvious reasons here. Three of them introduced themselves as Rufus, Cyrus, and Willis Bardstar. While the other three introduced themselves as Bruce Munro, Shenali Webb, and Moriah Garedenel.

Rufus was the oldest of the three Bardstar young men, and he was a triplet. He was 5'9", with auburn hair and brown eyes. His nearer triplet brother was Cyrus, and Cyrus was also 5'9" with brown hair and blue eyes. As for his farther triplet brother Willis, he was also 5'9", but had black hair and blue eyes. Rufus was now engaged to Shenali Webb, a blonde-haired woman with green eyes.

Bruce Munro, the Scot in the group of six potential new tenants, for his part, was brown-haired and blue-eyed. While his girlfriend Moriah Garedenel, the Israelite in that group, was black-haired and brown-eyed. They too were engaged to each other in their lives, as they had been for at least a little while, if not a long while, in them.

After the introductions were then made as necessary, the six prospective new tenants' things were all loaded into Seta's van as needed here and now, with at least some help from both Motoko and Kaolla, if not a lot of it, in fact. It took a while, at least, for all their things to be loaded into it well enough, and still make it possible for all ten people to fit well enough into the van. But eventually, they all were, and all ten of them soon took seats in it as well, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

Once that was done well enough to suit everyone sufficiently well, Seta soon started up his van and began taking everyone back to the Hinata City local area in it. The journey back to the Apartments was at least occasionally filled with many questions asked of the prospective new tenants. Mostly by Kaolla, but not entirely, of course. Moriah was the most close-mouthed, however, of the prospective new tenants, for reasons not yet known to Seta, Keitaro, Motoko, and Kaolla, at least. When Motoko asked about that, Bruce said, "Aoyama-san, she has her reasons for not saying much at the current time, if she doesn't have to. If she wants or needs to talk to you, she will, no doubt. But until then, at least, please respect her wishes here as much as you can."

"Anything else?" asked Keitaro.

"As a matter of fact, there is. Su-san, please do not ask so many questions of my girlfriend for at least the time being. She hardly knows you, and she needs to gradually learn more about you at her own pace, not at what seems to be your usual pace of things in your life. I will be most displeased if you bother her too much, and most especially with any number of your inventions that I've occasionally heard about from Hina-san."

"You have to be kidding!"

"Su-san, I am serious. Bother her too much needlessly, and you will see just HOW serious I CAN get about things like that," Bruce soon said.

"Is that a threat, Munro-san?" asked Motoko.

"No, Aoyama-san, it is not. It is a PROMISE. I really do not want to actually have to act on my future wife's behalf against Su-san, but I still will, if I absolutely must. Furthermore, for as long as she and I, at least, may be in residence at the Apartments, if she who will be my wife is needlessly spied on by ANY of Su-san's inventions, I WILL most definitely make her very seriously wish that she had never actually done so, if it somehow turns out that she was truly doing so with them. This may, and probably will, be my only prior warning to that particular effect. Remember it well, for I often don't like repeating certain things to people, no matter how young they may actually be. Also, you had best also warn your associate Konno-san, at least, of this kind of matter, for her own good and/or the own goods of her most frequent associates, for that matter. Any attempts at extortion by her, at least, if not others as well, against me and/or my future wife will be dealt with severely, if I so choose to deal with her or any other potential guilty parties in that way well enough, after sufficiently enough confirming the actual facts of any related situation or situations," said Bruce, a few moments later.

"You're no fun, Munro-san."

"I can be, if my woman and/or I are not bothered too much needlessly, Su-san. You might be able to get away with it dealing with your most frequent associates, but you most certainly WILL NOT get away with it for either me or her. I don't really care if you actually do play your many little childish games with any or all of your usual associates, in truth. But I still will insist very strongly indeed on you respecting our privacy or privacies, if and whenever possible and appropriate, most definitely. If you ever deliberately violate them needlessly, you then will have to face whatever consequences we so desire to place on you. For your own good, do NOT EVER challenge us in that particular regard, at least. I would really hate to have to perhaps spank you, for instance. And don't EVER doubt that I would, if I EVER felt the need to do so well enough, and it were EVER appropriate enough. I hear that you are a Princess of some faraway land. Is this true?"

"Yes, it is, Munro-san."

"Then I expect you to act accordingly. You may still be a child, in many respects, but I hear that you may have an adult-like mind in at least a few respects, for instance, based on various things I've already learned during various conversations that I've periodically ever had with Hina-san before. Is that so?"

"Yes, it is," acknowledged Kaolla.

"That being the case, I therefore will expect you to act in a more adult manner, if and whenever possible in the future. What is the penalty for espionage in your country, then?"

"It depends on the particular circumstances then in question, Munro-san. What's your point?"

"My future wife really doesn't like spies all that much, if even one little bit at all, Su-san. And neither do I, just so you know. As that is the case, we may quite often react severely if we've been spied on badly enough by others needlessly enough. Either of us or both of us, by the way. She really counts on me quite a lot indeed to shield her from certain people or situations, to the very best of my own personal ability to do just that in my own mortal life, somehow. While we've both never actually gone about killing anyone at all who's actually done that around us too much for our comfort or comforts, in truth, we both have periodically dealt with various people who were like that often enough for us to then feel the need to react very unpleasantly indeed towards them, for sure. It truly would be in your own best interest to not actually somehow awaken our mutual sense of wrath against you and/or any of your most common associates. The very same thing is just as true for them as well, for that matter."

Bruce and Moriah then remained silent for at least the rest of the trip to the Apartments. And they both were not bothered again for the rest of that very same trip by Seta, Keitaro, Motoko, or Kaolla, at least, if not anyone else at all as well. As for the others, at least a bit of conversation was shared between them all for much, if not all, of the rest of the trip then in question, in fact.

Eventually, the ten occupants of Seta's van arrived at the base of the front steps for the Apartments. Keitaro soon led everyone up them and to the main building for them, quite naturally enough. He then had everyone else wait briefly outside the front doors to the main building, so as to briefly ask his cousin to call his other tenants to the living room for them, of course.

She agreed to do that, for the obvious reasons here and now. And then Keitaro allowed the prospective new tenants to enter the main building for the Apartments, in very short order. They each found various places to sit or stand in the room, and by the time Haruka returned with Shinobu, Naru, and Mitsune here, all had done either of those things fairly well indeed. Moriah sat on one couch, while Bruce stood right behind her with his hands resting very gently, yet very firmly, on her shoulders. Shenali sat next to Moriah, and Rufus hung quite close to her as well, but not as close by her as Bruce was doing with Moriah. As for Cyrus and Willis, they were both standing somewhat calmly near Rufus and Shenali, but not so close as to be uncomfortably close to either Bruce or Moriah, for that matter. And Keitaro sat on the other side of Shenali from Moriah, on the same couch as well, by the way.

Kaolla and Motoko both sat on another couch, and Seta stood somewhere near Keitaro, Rufus, Cyrus, and Willis in the room, by the time that Shinobu, Naru, Mitsune, and Haruka finally returned to the room as well. After Shinobu, Naru, and Mitsune then took seats on the last unoccupied couch, Shinobu soon asked, "Senpai, are these the prospective new tenants that you told us of earlier?"

"Yes, Shinobu, they are. They may be staying with us long-term for a while, if enough of you girls agree to let each of them do so well enough. Please introduce yourselves to them, then, you three."

Introductions were soon made in both directions, and all the primary tenants who hadn't yet been informed of certain things were soon sufficiently informed of them by the necessary people, without any doubt whatsoever. Mitsune behaved herself, for once, and silently wished that two of the four prospective new male tenants were not currently taken, but still accepted that fact, just the same. She didn't bother any of them at all with her usual flirting, for example. Especially after two of them silently made it quite clear that any of her flirting attempts aimed at either of them would not be welcomed by them at all.

Naru spent most of the introduction period in conversation with a number of the people now assembled in the living room, quite naturally enough. And she took in quite well indeed the fact that Bruce was acting particularly protective of his future wife, for that matter. She resolved not to mess with either him or Moriah any more than she absolutely had to, if she could somehow possibly ever avoid doing so, in very short order, after having herself watched by both of them for several long minutes, in fact. After studying the other current couple among those in the prospective new tenants' group, she made herself mental notes not to tick them off as well, under the same general feeling about them as well.

Shinobu was somewhat timid, at least at first, with the prospective new tenants, but eventually got into just a little bit of pleasant conversation with Moriah and Bruce, at least. They both were a little apprehensive around Shinobu, at least at first, but still managed to carry on a little bit of conversation with her, before she eventually had to excuse herself to her kitchen area again, quite naturally enough. After Shinobu left, the remaining other people conversed with each other to at least a good degree, in many cases, for at least a little while. Once that was done well enough, Keitaro and the rest of his tenants briefly joined Shinobu for a short conversation regarding the prospective new tenants for the Apartments. And for votes on each of them both, for that matter. All were soon voted on, with Moriah and Shenali the ones being most easily voted for among the six prospective new tenants, of course. Bruce got three out of five votes, as did Willis, while both Rufus and Cyrus got four each.

After all the required votes had been taken and tabulated well enough, then, Keitaro and his five current primary tenants left the kitchen area again. Albeit only briefly again on Shinobu's own part, at least, for all the obvious reasons here and now, anyway. And they all soon welcomed the new temporary tenants to the Apartments, before Shinobu again went into her kitchen here and now. With that then having been done, several people soon began helping to carry things to the appropriate other rooms in the Apartments' main building, of course, and setting them all up as needed and as appropriate for all concerned parties.

Bruce was soon installed in 203, Shenali in 206, Garedenel in 303, and the Bardstar triplets in 306. By the time everyone was then settled into their new rooms well enough, Shinobu had quite a bit of food and drink items ready for people's consumption, at their own leisure, at least for the most part, if not entirely. It was rapidly approaching 6 pm local time, in fact, by that time of day. Once all those items were sufficiently enough ready for everyone to have as they might see fit, she soon began going around to all the necessary rooms to inform everyone else of that fact well enough, for sure.

The women both came down in generally modest attire, while the men all dressed somewhat simply. At least most of them did, anyway, for the men. However, Rufus was very formally dressed, with Bruce slightly less so dressed. Cyrus and Willis were considerably dressed in a much more casual style for their own parts, with Cyrus dressing much more casually than Willis did.

Not too much later, then, everyone took seats at the tables now in the Apartments' kitchen/dining area, including the current supper guests Haruka and Seta, for that matter. Kanako, Kagome, and Komazuaki, however, were then napping for a while under sufficient protection in Keitaro's room, quite naturally enough. The main table had Keitaro and his five primary tenants at it, along with Rufus and Shenali. While a second smaller one had Haruka, Seta, the other two Bardstar triplets, Bruce, and Moriah at it.

Keitaro and his five primary tenants sat at their usual places around the main table, of course. And Rufus and Shenali soon took the last two current seats then placed sufficiently near it, with Keitaro's quite willing consent here and now. Supper began soon thereafter. And at least some conversation was shared among the assembled people having it with each other. Most of it was between various people at the main table, but there was still at least some cross-table conversation present, just the same.

Naru eventually asked, "Bardstar-tachi, where are you three from, if you don't mind me asking too much here and now?"

Rufus considered letting everyone else who didn't yet know enough about them know about that sort of thing for a while in relative silence, before eventually choosing to reply to Naru's just-asked question here. He said, "We are all originally from Missouri, but our home base is now somewhere in Minnesota, in the United States of America. We have two parents, plus several siblings and other close relatives, as well. Shenali and a few of her friends have been known to us for quite some time, but Cyrus and Willis have not been able to establish permanent enough ties with a number of her friends like I have with Shenali. It wasn't for a lack of trying on all their parts, mind you all, in fact. But they evidently were not meant to be with any of Shenali's friends for the rest of their lives, unlike Shenali and I, it seems to me."

The young women who were now primary residents of the Hinata Apartments all thought for a while about the just-revealed information as they all continued to consume their respective suppers with each other here and now. Eventually, though, Shinobu asked, "What school or schools do all six of you go to back in the United States, if any, whenever you're there, then?"

Bruce said, "Moriah and I attend college at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. The others attend college in the United States in various places, if memory serves me well enough at the present time."

Rufus said, "Shenali and I attend college in Wisconsin at the present time, and we are both Edgewood College students at the present time. As for Cyrus, he attends Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, while Willis attends the University of Missouri's main campus in about the middle of Missouri."

"So why aren't you all at those schools instead of being here?" asked Keitaro.

"Because we are spending our schools' spring semesters here in Japan and attending classes in Tokyo, Keitaro-san," answered Rufus.

"At Tokyo U, no doubt?" asked Haruka.

"That is correct," answered Cyrus. "I plan to be an architect of some sort when I finish my formal education, and build many things all over the world, if at all possible, in the future. Rufus has plans to be a minister or a novelist of some sort, if not both, once he gets out of school. While Willis hopes to be either a singer/musician or a professional athlete of some sort, if not both, once he gets out of the University of Missouri someday yet in the future. Football season is over for his school now, so he is now here with us all. He plays for them as a free safety on defense, mainly, but has also been known to occasionally play quarterback or wide receiver on offense for themselves, whenever they want or need him to play at those positions on the field. Willis's arm is fairly strong, at least, but he occasionally still has problems with his usual throwing accuracy for various reasons, some more obvious than others, of course."

"Are either you or Willis dating anyone right now, by any chance at all, Cyrus-san?" asked Motoko.

"No, Aoyama-san, neither Willis nor I am currently dating anyone at all. My last girlfriend and I broke up early in this summer, while Willis and his last girlfriend broke up just before the end of the previous school year at his school. So we are both currently unattached, romantically speaking."

Motoko thought about that, and then asked, "I suppose it would be too much of me to ask about why you each broke up with your respective last girlfriends, then."

Willis said, "I caught her sneaking around behind my back with three other men, at least, if not more. Not just at one time, but several times, in fact. I finally could no longer stand her too-frequent betrayal of me, so we ultimately broke up, once and for all. I will not fully detail what she was doing at this time, if ever, to any of you, for there are children present here now. I will say, however, that she really broke my heart, for I really cared for her a great deal, Aoyama-san. I was even considering possibly marrying her someday, for that matter. But when she went too far too often, I broke up with her. She and I will never be married to each other, for certain, in our lives."

"Was she a close friend, before you started dating?" asked Mitsune.

"Yes, she was. But now, we only talk whenever absolutely necessary. She has told me since we broke up that she would like to get back together with me, but I have no intention of ever doing so now. She has made her bed, so to speak, and now she must lie in it. I will not marry someone who treats my heart as a toy to play around with. If I ever happen to date someone often enough in a certain length of time, it is because I hope that she might eventually be the one woman who I am actually destined to spend the rest of my life with, God willing. Especially if I become very close to her in the process of doing just that, Konno-san."

The assembled people conversed for a while longer with each other, as they continued consuming their respective meals with each other. Eventually, supper ended, and several people began to help clean up after it, including Cyrus and Naru, for example. Cyrus saw to the beverages, Naru to the food, Shinobu to the plates, Motoko to the drink containers, and Willis to the silverware and anything else that then needed to be attended to at the present time.

After everyone cleaned up things as needed and as appropriate here well enough, they soon began dispersing to various areas of the grounds with each other, as the need or desire for them then arose for them, quite naturally enough. Bruce and Moriah went for a walk with each other somewhere on them, with Bruce making it quite clear indeed that he and his lady friend would be much upset if they were needlessly disturbed while they were on it with each other, for example. Rufus and Shenali soon went to her room for a bit, where Rufus then posed for her so that she could paint him on a canvas for a while, as he sat on a couch there reading a book about the Torah. Others went elsewhere, as the need or desire for them all then arose, mostly by themselves, but not entirely. Motoko, Mitsune, Kaolla, Shinobu, and Haruka soon went to the hot springs to soak for a while. Naru went to her room, and Cyrus and Willis occupied themselves with playing chess against each other in their and Rufus's room, as well. Keitaro, for his part, went up to the roof to just sketch for a while as he then saw fit.

Eventually, if they weren't already in them, everyone retired to their own rooms for the rest of the night, where applicable and appropriate enough. Seta and Haruka, however, went to the tea shop, where Haruka soon installed Seta on the couch, before she went to sleep in her own bed elsewhere in it. And they all soon fell quite soundly asleep in them after doing so well enough. And so they all remained until the morning then came for them all on the following day, of course.

* * *

The following morning, Motoko was on the roof, as usual, at her usual training time, practicing her skills by herself there. She trained for a while before dawn, and then took a quick dip in the springs with Keitaro's permission, seeing as he was the only male sufficiently awake at the time she asked if she could briefly use the hot springs for a bit. Keitaro said, "You have fifteen minutes, Motoko, to bathe, if you really want to use the springs now. I am going to enter them, no matter what, in twenty minutes. I do not know when the other men will wake up yet, and when they will want to use the springs, but if I were you, I'd be quick about using them, due to the fact that you'd then be bathing during male bathing times here and now."

"Very well, then, Urashima. Thank you." Motoko then quickly went to the springs, and bathed just as quickly as she could, for the obvious reasons. She was sufficiently in and out of them no more than fifteen minutes after she left Keitaro in the kitchen/dining room area well enough. By the time she was done in the springs well enough, Shinobu was in the kitchen beginning to prepare herself some breakfast.

Shinobu soon saw her, and said, "How are you today, Motoko?"

"I am well, for now, at least, Shinobu-chan. And how are you?"

"I am fine, but still am not pleased with a few of you, for the obvious reasons. So I would recommend that you not do anything at all against Senpai needlessly for a while, at least, if not even longer than that," said Shinobu, as she continued to prepare pancakes and eggs and other things for her own breakfast.

"What if he does something he shouldn't?"

"Then he will be judged as the need arises, where possible and appropriate, of course, Motoko."

Shinobu and Motoko soon sat at the main table in the kitchen/dining room area, and began having their breakfasts there. They were still having them when several of the others began streaming into the kitchen/dining room area as well. The first of them to arrive in that area were Keitaro and the Bardstar triplets, followed soon after by Bruce, Moriah, and Shenali. Mitsune was still asleep, and Naru was still dressing, while Kaolla was working on one of her ubiquitous projects, as was often her wont in her own life. Haruka and Seta did not show for breakfast with everyone else, for they had both decided to just take the day off, or at least part of the morning off, anyway, and to just play any number of things by ear, so to speak, on it, somewhat unexpectedly indeed. And they even took all three of the triplet girls out with them as they did just that, for that matter, with Keitaro's full knowledge and consent.

Keitaro soon took his usual seat at the main table, while the Bardstars, Shenali, Bruce, and Moriah soon sat at the other table in that room. The triplets and Shenali then sat on the sides of the second table, and Bruce and Moriah took the ends for it. The now-empty seats at the main table were reserved for the other main tenants of the Hinata Apartments, for that matter, for all the obvious reasons here and now, wherever and whenever applicable enough, for sure.

Motoko soon asked, "What are your plans for the day, if I might ask, Urashima?"

Keitaro was then in a navy blue sweater with tan trousers and a black belt over a pair of black shoes when Motoko asked him that. And he soon said, after taking a bite of some eggs then on his plate, "I have plans to spend some time with the other five males now here at a youth center. We are signed up as part of a basketball team to play in an amateur league, in fact. I signed them and me and a few other young men up for that league after I learned that they were all also interested in sports to at least some degree. If we win the league, or finish high enough in it, we are going to win a substantial cash prize, it seems. The other teams in the league represent other nearby Apartment complexes and the areas surrounding them. And I signed up our Apartment complex to participate in said league, once I realized that six other people were due to come here, through Grandma Hina sending them here, for that matter. Not only that, but I also signed up all of you girls for the female version of that league, also for a substantial cash prize to the winners or other teams that finish high enough in it. The male version of that league plays three times a week, starting this afternoon. Besides Saturday afternoons, it will play on Mondays and Thursdays."

"And for the female version, Senpai?"

"It schedules games for Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays. Wednesdays are free days for both versions of that league. I also signed up a few other girls for the Hinata Apartments' entry in that league. Shinobu, you and Kaolla will normally play as guards, Mitsune and Naru as forwards, and Motoko and Mutsumi Otohime as centers. Shenali may normally be a forward or a guard, and Moriah a guard, perhaps, I think. Others on the team will play on the court as needed and as possible, of course, Shinobu. Yes, the amateur league in question here takes into account various schools' schedules as best as it can, for the obvious reasons. Our teams' respective first opponents in the league are from Juuban, in fact. You girls get the Juuban Senshi, and we get the Juuban Knights, for that matter."

Naru entered, and she soon said, "What are you talking about, Keitaro?"

"I have signed all of us up for participation in two basketball leagues at a nearby youth center, along with several other people from around this area. If we win either or both of the leagues in question, or place high enough in them, we will win cash prizes for our teams to use as we see fit. Several businesses in this part of Japan have sponsored those leagues, and I have signed us all up to participate in the hopes that if we win enough cash, it might help with the expenses of running this place, at the very least. Later today, we should be receiving specially-made uniforms for our teams, and meeting the rest of our respective teammates on our teams. I will be the captain of one team, with Seta as the coach. Shinobu will be the captain of the other team for us, and Haruka the coach. Our assistant captains for our respective teams are going to be Shirai and Haitani for my team, and Motoko and Mutsumi Otohime for Shinobu's team. We both drew the Juuban teams for our respective first games in that league. As a result, you will have to face the Juuban Senshi in the female version of the league, while we males will have to face the Juuban Knights in the male version of it."

Mitsune soon entered, and said, "You never consulted with us about this, Keitaro."

"If we don't participate, we are out the entry fees paid for the ability to play in the league, Mitsune. We are often very low indeed on cash around here, for the obvious reasons, so I felt the need to try to find a way to supplement our income here more so that none of you girls might actually have to leave this place permanently. I am trying to save the Apartments from being closed, or would you all more prefer to perhaps be forced onto the streets or back to wherever each of you came from earlier to here?"

"Seriously, Keitaro?" asked Naru.

"Seriously. Unless you might really want to go back to the extremely terrible life that you had before you ever got here, potentially, I suggest that you just go along with this particular matter that I signed us all up for, to the best of your ability, Naru-san. Do you really want to actually have to abandon any major hopes and/or major dreams that you've ever had for your very own mortal life, and perhaps actually have to then go back to trying to fend off numerous thugs or any number of other unsavory people back where you came from earlier? You came from a very complicated and very dangerous situation indeed, it seems, if I actually remember Grandma Hina's informational sessions regarding you well enough here and now. You came from a part of Tokyo, perhaps, that was somewhat well-known for high rates of crime, et cetera. I really don't want to possibly have to send you back to such a part of Tokyo, if it can possibly ever be somehow avoided at all. And Mitsune's own pre-Hinata Apartments situation wasn't that much better, if at all,in her own life, with many alcoholic and/or drug-using friends and/or relatives, for that matter, I believe. She too had to deal with many nasty things that no young person should ever have to deal with in their lives, I'm quite sure, before Grandma Hina eventually rescued her and brought her here to this place of ours, as well."

Naru and Mitsune thought for a while, and looked at each other for a while, before Naru said, "No, of course I don't, Keitaro."

"When are we to see our new uniforms, then?" asked Kaolla, who entered while Keitaro was replying to Mitsune's just-made statement.

"When the mail gets here, then we will see them, Kaolla-chan. Not before," answered Keitaro.

"And the rest of our teammates?" asked Motoko, sipping some tea as she asked him that.

"This afternoon, at least for the males, if not also for the females, everyone," said Keitaro, as he finished his eggs.

"When do you have to be at the required youth center, then?" asked Shinobu.

"I and the rest of my teammates have to be there by noon local time. Our first game is two hours after that, and we will be playing with eight-minute-long quarters," answered Keitaro, as he finished the sausages then on his plate, and began to rise from his chair at the main table.

"And the team names for our teams?" asked Naru.

"The Hinata Archeologists and Hinata Lady Archeologists," answered Keitaro, as he began helping clear the tables of the dirty dishes and leftover consumables, in very short order. "I do believe that each of you have played basketball in your respective Physical Education classes, at least, as well. Am I correct enough in that regard?"

Motoko and the others soon nodded, even the foreigners. Keitaro then said, "As that is the case, you are all undoubtedly familiar enough with the rules of the sport, I expect. Hopefully you all will be able to play at least a little bit, then, everyone. It may take a while, but perhaps we can help our teams do quite well indeed by the end of the season. The league's regular seasons will run from this weekend until the end of April, I believe, and then the playoffs should be completed a week or two after that."

Everyone soon dispersed to do whatever they then had to do on the current day. The uniforms for those now residing in the Hinata Apartments arrived in the mail by 11:15 am, at the very latest, local time. And Keitaro quickly dispersed them wherever and whenever appropriate to the necessary people here and now, just before he and the other males now present left the grounds for the Apartments for the nearest youth center in the Hinata City local area. Keitaro, Bruce, Rufus, Cyrus, and Willis then met up with the other seven members of their new males-only team for Hinata City at that very same youth center. By the time they got there, Seta was already there, in fact.

Besides Keitaro, Kimiaki, Masayuki, Bruce, Rufus, Cyrus, and Willis, the other members of Keitaro's males-only team were Tafunoro Watsuki, Umaran Akamatsu, Omotanu Terajima, Keshi Tanaka, and Keshi's older fraternal twin brother Kiwamo. Watsuki and Terajima were college-aged, while Akamatsu and the others were still only high school-aged, at the present time. The Tanaka twins were high school seniors, while Akamatsu was now in eighth grade, perhaps just about four years younger than the Tanaka twins, more or less. Yet Akamatsu still looked like he was at least a year or two older than he actually was in his own life, just the same.

Seta soon assembled his new team's players for a while, and got to work with them as best as he could before their opponents finally arrived and made their ways to the court on which they'd then play against the team from Hinata City here, for all the obvious reasons here and now. The Juubanites arrived on the court at 1 pm, and took it over for a while, before the game was due to start well enough, of course.

By the time the game was due to start, the bleachers on either side of the court were somehow filled to the maximum. And among the spectators who were going to watch the game were the other Hinata Apartments' residents, quite naturally enough, for sure. The Hinata supporters mostly sat in the bleachers on the end of the court designated for the Hinata team. While the Juuban supporters mostly did the same for the other end.

The Hinatans started Watsuki at center, Terajima and Akamatsu at the forward positions, and both Tanaka twins at the two guard positions. While the Juubanites started Mamoru Chiba at center, Shinozaki Miyake and Yuuichirou Kumada at the forward positions, and Ryo Urawa and Gurio Umino at the guard positions for themselves.

The opening tip went to the Knights, who soon opened up a five-point lead by the middle of the first quarter. Keitaro then came in, along with Rufus and his fellow triplet brothers, to give everyone but Watsuki a short breather, at Seta's direction. It took at least a few minutes for the Archeologists to start chipping away at the lead that the Knights had built by the time the game reached a point nearly three minutes into the second quarter, but they soon began to whittle away at the thirteen-point lead that the Knights then had built up by that particular point in the game. Especially after they got Kumada and Miyake into some foul trouble just after the midpoint of the second quarter in the game, in fact.

Keitaro led the charge back for the Archeologists, especially after sinking a few three-pointers in key spots over several Knights. While they weren't yet able to take the lead away from the Juubanites, or even tie the game, by halftime, the gap at halftime between the teams had shrunk to just four points between the teams, with Juuban being ahead by a score of 39-35 then. The halftime intermission was fifteen minutes long, and both teams went to separate locker rooms elsewhere in the youth center for most of it, quite naturally enough.

While both teams were so absent, Motoko said, "This game has been fairly interesting. The guys will really have to watch Urawa and Chiba more closely, though. Furuhata is doing quite well off the Juuban bench as well. Urashima is having trouble keeping up with them, it seems, and he doesn't have the height of Chiba nor the deft passing touch that Urawa seems to have. If we can knock Kumada and Miyake out of the game through fouls, we might have a chance to muscle more the other members of their team who would have to replace them in the game, I think. Kumada and Miyake both seem quite sturdy, but a bit too reckless when they play, from what I've been able to tell well enough so far."

"So what should the guys do, then, perhaps?" asked Naru.

Shinobu thought for a few moments, at least, and then said, "They should go with Haitani as a forward or center, and have him try to slow Furuhata down whenever they're both in the game. Perhaps Shirai could pester Chiba, Kumada, and Miyake and try to draw fouls from them as well. He has bulk, so Shirai might be able to establish himself well enough to keep Juuban from being able to out-muscle him easily as they have somewhat done so far with Senpai, for that matter. As for Senpai, he seems to be shooting better from long-range than from close-in. It would perhaps be best if he stays near the three-point lines if and whenever possible when he's playing,both now and in future games."

"Watsuki has height and so do Akamatsu and Terajima, it seems. But Akamatsu and Keshi are both in substantial foul trouble at present, it seems, Shinobu," said Kaolla.

"Yes, both of them have three fouls of the allowed five fouls per game, it seems, Kaolla. Terajima and Watsuki each have two, as do Haitani, Senpai, and Willis. Rufus, Cyrus, and Shirai have one apiece, and Kiwamo and Bruce both have no fouls for themselves, at the present time. I would start the second half with three guards and two forwards, with the two forwards being Haitani and Watsuki, perhaps, and the three guards being Senpai, Rufus and Shirai, I think. If I were the Knights, and those players were not in the game for us, I would perhaps start the second half with Chiba as their center, Furuhata and Migashi as forwards, and Urawa and either Miyake or Umino as guards, though."

Mutsumi said, "I concur, because Furuhata and Chiba are doing quite well against us, as are Umino and Urawa. The latter two are mainly sitting back and feeding the ball to their teammates, but are shooting fairly well themselves, it seems. Kumada and Miyake are slower of foot than Furuhata and Chiba are, but they're still troublesome with their ability to hold positions when necessary against our players, to at least some degree, if not to a great degree."

"But they seem to be distractable more than many of their teammates have yet shown. If the guys on our team could run more misdirection plays against them, perhaps we could get them out of the game somehow. At least one of them, anyway, that is," said Mitsune, as she glanced over at several of the Knights' current supporters for at least a few seconds, if not more.

Among those supporters of the Knights were several, if not all, of the members for Juuban's females-only entry into the applicable amateur basketball league. Mitsune's glances at several of them soon attracted the serious attentions of several of those members, among them Makoto Kino, to name just one of them. Makoto and Mitsune then stared down each other for a little while, before Mitsune finally turned away and looked at Motoko briefly. "Motoko, I think I just saw your likely opposing center for the game tomorrow, somehow. I don't know who she is, just yet, but she seems quite fearsome, just the same, somehow."

The game soon resumed, and the Archeologists came out with the lineup that Shinobu had just thought best for them to start out the second half with, much to the other Hinata Apartments' female residents' surprise besides Shinobu. While the Knights sent out Chiba, Furuhata, Kumada, Urawa, and Umino to begin the second half for them. The Archeologists got the opening tip for the second half, and scored ten seconds later when Haitani drove the lane and dunked over both Furuhata and Chiba, to close the gap to just two points in the game between both teams. Over the next three or four minutes,then, perhaps, the Archeologists proceeded to outscore the Knights 17-9, after they scored first in the second half. Which soon gave them a six-point lead at 54-48, for that matter.

The Archeologists soon forced Kumada and Miyake out of the game by drawing fouls from them by the time there was about six minutes left in regulation. That forced the Knights to replace those two with other players once they fouled out of it with five personal fouls each. Miyake was replaced by Migashi, while Kumada was replaced by Furuhata. The Archeologists soon pounded the inside for a few minutes, before they lost Akamatsu and Terajima as well, due to fouls. But before they did, the Archeologists had opened up a 68-58 lead on the Knights. When both Akamatsu and Terajima fouled out with about three minutes to play, more or less, Keitaro replaced Akamatsu with Haitani and Terajima with Shirai. He and Seta also decided to keep Watsuki on the bench for just a little while longer, seeing as Watsuki was now himself one foul away from fouling out of the game as well. All three Bardstar triplets then entered the game, with Rufus taking Watsuki's place temporarily. Keitaro would come in the next time that Watsuki entered, for that matter, most likely, though.

The Knights closed the gap to two points in very short order after Chiba dunked over Haitani to make the score then 74-72 with about a minute or so left in regulation, in favor of the Archeologists. The Archeologists called time-out, and then sent in both Tanakas, Watsuki, Keitaro, and Bruce in the hopes that they could somehow hold the lead for the rest of the game, quite naturally enough. While the Knights soon sent in Chiba, Furuhata, Migashi, Urawa, and Umino themselves, hoping to take the lead and win the game, of course. Even though Chiba and Furuhata were each one foul away from fouling out of the game now, they still did so, in fact.

When play resumed, the Archeologists took their own sweet time as much as possible to look for their best shot and to run as much time as they could off the shot clock before they'd have to shoot again, and soon fed the ball to Keitaro at the top of the free-throw circle for a shot. Keitaro took the ball just behind the three-point line, and then quickly popped a three-pointer with just a second or two left on the current shot clock over a pair of rising hands for Migashi at the present time. That then made the current score 77-72 in favor of the Archeologists, with just about 40 seconds still left to play in regulation.

The Knights then inbounded the ball, and tried to hurry it up the court as they looked for their best shot as well. The Archeologists hung tight nearer the three-point line, so that they might not be burned so easily with three-pointers, of course. That forced the Knights to try to score closer to the basket, of course. And they finally found a suitable enough shot to take in time. Umino drained a bucket from the high post with about 25 seconds left in regulation, for two points.

The Archeologists held onto the ball for another fifteen or so seconds before the Knights finally were able to foul one of the Archeologists' players and send them to the line well enough. The Hinatan they fouled with about ten seconds, more or less, left in the game was Keitaro, and Migashi committed the foul to force the clock to stop for a bit, with the score now 77-74 in favor of the Archeologists. Keitaro then hit the first free-throw that he was currently entitled to here, and missed the second, but Watsuki quickly rebounded the resulting miss, and stuffed it with a double-dipping/backboard-shaking slam dunk to ultimately cinch the game for the Hinatans. After that last dunk by Watsuki, the Knights tried to get another shot off in time once they'd inbounded well enough, but were unable to do just that well enough somehow. The final score of the game ended up as 80-74, in the favor of the Archeologists, in fact.

Several minutes later, after the post-game bows and/or handshakes, et cetera, both teams soon departed for their respective assigned locker rooms at the current time. And then several people began filing out of the gym where the game had just been played in the applicable youth center, quite naturally enough, for all the obvious reasons here and now. But not everyone, for at least a few of the Knights were currently boyfriends to at least a few of the Senshi now present here, by the way.

While the males were otherwise occupied for both teams, Shinobu and Motoko soon found themselves and others encountering at least a few of their future opponents on the Juuban Senshi team, in fact. Among them were Makoto Kino and Minako Kino, for instance. The Hinatans and Juubanites soon studied each other at least at some length, before one of the Juubanites said, "I look forward to us pitting our teams against each other tomorrow, Hinatans." That particular Juubanite was Ami Mizuno, and she looked a lot like Shinobu did.

Shinobu saw this, and said, "You look a lot like me, perhaps, as does one of your current companions, it seems, Miss."

"My name is Ami Mizuno. And the other one of us who looks like you is Hotaru Tomoe. My friend Makoto wants to know who was glancing at several of us earlier during halftime, Miss."

Shinobu started to reply, but Mitsune cut in, and said, "That would be me, Mitsune Konno. My friends often call me Kitsune, though."

Another Juubanite said, after looking at Mitsune for a few seconds, "You don't look like a fox, Konno-san."

"Well, I can be foxy at times, young lady. And who might you be?"

That Juubanite giggled briefly, and said, "My name is Usagi Tsukino, believe it or not."

"Then where are your bunny ears?" piped in Kaolla, all of a sudden, beginning to hop all around the place without any prior warning at all.

"Where's your own frog suit?" asked Usagi, after seeing the very bubbly Molmolian princess do so for several minutes.

"I'm not a frog, Tsukino-san," said Kaolla.

"Really? You bounce all over like one. So where's your frog suit?"

"Don't have one. But those Odangos on your head look very tasty to me, by the way, Odango Atama."

"Don't call me that, Froggie!"

The two of them stared down each other, and then Usagi said, "Just wait until we play tomorrow, then, Kaolla-san. We Senshi are going to wipe the floor with you all here tomorrow."

"Not likely," said Naru Narusegawa. "We'll beat you all tomorrow, just like our guys beat your guys today. But we'll do even better than they did, point spread-wise, at least, I'm quite sure."

"And just who in blazes are you to say such things?" asked Naru Osaka.

"Naru Narusegawa is my name, and who are you?"

"Naru Osaka, best friend of Usagi for ages."

The two groups conversed for just a little while longer before their respective male associates finally returned to the gym and rejoined their female friends and associates. The aforementioned males soon separated the two groups from each other, as needed, as appropriate, and as desired, and both overall groups eventually left the youth center behind for the rest of the day.

Eventually, Keitaro and his current tenants returned with each other, Seta, Haruka, and the triplets to the Hinata Apartments. Seta and Haruka saw to the triplets as needed while the others were otherwise occupied, once they got back there, and stayed for supper. Once supper was over, Haruka and Seta went out for part of the night, but not all of it. When they returned from their after-supper date with each other, Seta gave Haruka a brief, yet passionate, kiss just before he left her at the door to her tea shop for the rest of the night. Seta soon returned to his own residence elsewhere in the Hinata City local area, and Haruka soon retired to her own bed in her own bedroom, quite naturally enough, as well.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Haruka and Seta were then dating each other, Keitaro was reading for a while in his room. Naru and several of the other females now on the grounds were in the hot springs with each other, but not all of them. For Bruce and Moriah were playing Mah Jongg with Rufus and Shenali at the present time. As for Cyrus and Willis, they were both working on some of their most recently-assigned collegiate classwork for various courses that they were now taking at Tokyo University, in truth.

Kaolla was the first to speak after the five primary tenants assembled together with each other in the hot springs. She said, "We need to figure out how we're going to win tomorrow against them, if we possibly can, before we face them, it seems to me, everyone."

"Yes, I would think so, Kaolla-chan," said Naru, as she leaned against the nearest rock to her for a little while. "Their Haruka looks like she might be a handful for either me or Mitsune here, for example. Or for Mutsumi, come to think of it."

"How so, Naru-senpai?" asked Motoko, sipping some tea then near her now.

Naru said, "She looks very fast and very athletic, for some reason, at the current time. You might have your hands full yourself with Kino-san. She even apparently has a bust that rivals or beats Mutsumi's, believe it or not, Motoko-chan. And you possibly also know that Mutsumi's bust beats all of our own busts by at least a little, by now, I think."

"Bust size isn't everything to a guy, I expect, Naru-san," said Shinobu. "Sure, some males might like big busts on any number of girls that they might encounter in their respective mortal lives. Guys like Shirai and Haitani, for example, perhaps. But many may not, just as well. I don't really know about Senpai in that particular regard, mind you, if I'm not too mistaken here, quite obviously enough. But I still would somehow tend to think that bust size for a girl is actually not as important to him as any or all of the rest of you here might currently think it is to him. Sure, he's a guy, everyone. No doubt whatsoever about that, for sure, of course. But whenever he's somehow been at least somewhat unfortunate enough to be in a potentially-compromising situation with me, and he's actually landed face-first or hands-first well enough on top of me in that particular area of my body, for whatever possible reason or reasons, he's not apparently minded that I have a smaller bust than many, if not all, of the rest of you. At least not too much, if at all, anyway."

"I don't think you're right about that, sugar," said Mitsune, while also wishing she was currently able to have something alcoholic to drink, for the obvious reasons, here and now. "As you said, he's a guy. And guys often go gaga, it seems, over big busts. Busts like mine, or Mutsumi's, for example."

"True, but still, I think that guys who just focus on those parts of a girl or woman's anatomy are often very shallow, and don't really want to know more about the woman or girl who may possess those things, for example. I personally think that if the woman or girl gets them in the proper manner, then it's much better than if they don't. Many big busts are natural, I grant, but there are many that aren't, of course. Your own personal bust is quite natural, obviously, as is Mutsumi's, I'm sure. But I still think that whenever you've periodically tried, or may try, to get out of paying rent around here by teasing him with it or various other parts of your very own body, you have grossly misused, or are grossly misusing, what you somehow actually got quite naturally indeed, Mitsune-san. And one day, you might eventually come to just regret it, somehow. I don't really know just when or where, but you periodically flaunting your body about like you quite often do might eventually lead to certain things happening, whether to you or to anyone else, that you never actually wanted to ever happen at all, in the first place. Many men out in the real world might think you want something that you don't really ever want to offer them, for example. And you could very well indeed someday come to actually find yourself in a possibly terminal situation, somehow. Or any number of others could, as well or instead, find themselves in such a situation, for that matter."

"You've got to be kidding, Shinobu-chan," said Mitsune.

"You seem to have forgotten much of your pre-Hinata Apartments life, Mitsune-san, while living here. You were rescued by Grandma Hina from that life. From what little I currently know of it, you hated that life. And yet, you seem to doubt that there are still many people like that in this world, whether in Japan or elsewhere." Shinobu sipped some grape juice then near her at the current time, even as she said those things to Mitsune here and now, and as she glanced at several of her current companions now with her in the hot springs.

"Maybe I have, but still, I think you might be at least a little mistaken about certain things, just the same, Shinobu," said Mitsune, as she reached for a nearby washcloth to run over her arms at least a little bit.

"Undoubtedly I am wrong about certain things, Mitsune-san. But I am undoubtedly right about various other things, you know. Such as the most likely best way to make a chicken casserole or lasagna, for example, among other things that I know how to make quite well already in my life. None of you can cook here or clean up this place here well just like I can, at least in terms of doing the laundry or cleaning the kitchen or the bathrooms around here, for instance. Senpai is getting much better in terms of such things around here, as even more time passes here, I think. But I'm still the best cleaner here, bar none, if I'm not too mistaken here. I may not be as physically developed or as sophisticated or as intelligent or as strong as any or all of the rest of you girls, but I still know quite well that I still am quite good at running certain things here, just the same. And that makes me happy, for I know that I'm actually worth something in my life, even if others look down on me for not being enough like any or all of you. I may indeed never be a lot like any or all of you, of course. But still, I have my own special charm around here, and I'm sure that Senpai realizes that at least a little, if not a lot, in his own life."

"My, my, my, Shinobu, you seem quite talkative tonight, compared to how you often are here," said Kaolla.

"Well, my little Molmolian friend, I've been thinking quite a bit of late, and I have quite a lot on my mind right now. Not to mention that we now have several others who have all found themselves staying here for some time, evidently. I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how best to perhaps handle certain things in my domains of current responsibility here while they're all still here, for instance. I still have to somehow find a suitable enough way to actually incorporate their various needs and wants into my usual routines here well enough, for all of the obvious reasons, I think. Seeing as Senpai most likely relies most on me to help him run the place here in those current domains of mine here, you know."

"Because they only just got here not too long ago, of course, Shinobu-chan?" asked Motoko, as she drained the rest of the tea in her current cup of it just a few seconds later.

"That is correct, Motoko-san."

"So how long do you think it will take for you to sufficiently incorporate them well enough into your usual routines around here, Shinobu-chan?" asked Kaolla.

Shinobu thought for a few minutes, and then said, "Depends on how much trouble the rest of you might cause around here, at least in part, Kaolla-chan. And how much they allow me to, of course. Seeing as they're adults themselves, they may not wish me to incorporate them into those same routines very much, if at all. Obviously, I will have to respect their wishes, if and whenever possible, ladies. Whatever those might be, that is. I am not going to bother them needlessly if I don't have to, and if I can possibly avoid doing so somehow, in fact, for that matter."

The five young women conversed with each other for at least another thirty or forty minutes in the hot springs before they started to leave them for the rest of the night. Mitsune left first, and then Motoko. Kaolla soon followed Motoko out of the springs and into the changing room, which then left Shinobu and Naru alone in them for a while longer. Once they were sufficiently alone, Shinobu said, "I wonder what the game against the Juubanites will be like for us tomorrow."

"Well, I expect that the Senshi will be somewhat easy to defeat, from what I can tell of them at the present time," said Naru, as she lay back on top of the water and floated on it somewhat lazily indeed, but not too lazily, while still wearing her towel at the present time in the springs. "They don't seem to be very strong, et cetera, at least for the most part, for instance."

"I believe you're wrong, Naru. From what I was able to gather, I expect that their guards will be at least Tsukino, Mizuno, Osaka, and Tomoe. Their forwards are possibly going to be Aino, Hino, Kaioh, and possibly Nishimura or Furuhata, at least. As for their centers, Kino and Tenoh are likely definites, with Meioh another likely possibility. Possibly Nishimura might also be one of their centers from time to time, for that matter."

"And if that's true, Shinobu-chan, then what?"

"Motoko will likely face off against at least Kino and/or Tenoh. You against perhaps either Hino or Aino, with Mitsune or Mutsumi against the other, much of the time. Kaolla against either Mizuno or Tsukino, at least, and me against the other. As for the rest of our team, I don't know how they might be best used against the other Senshi well enough, just yet. We still have to meet our other teammates who we didn't happen to meet today, of course. I will possibly be able to have a better idea of what we might be able to do once we do so well enough, I think."

Eventually, both young women left the springs for the rest of the night, and went to their respective rooms, quite naturally enough, for the rest of it. Once they were gone, and were certain not to return to it for the rest of the night, Keitaro soon decided to clean the springs before he went to bed later on himself. He entered the hot springs area, in fact, only after everyone else had gone to bed in their designated sleeping areas for the rest of it, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

It took him about an hour or so to finish doing so well enough to suit him sufficiently well, which put him very close indeed to midnight local time on the night of Saturday, January 19, 1991 or the morning of Sunday, January 20, 1991, as the case might be for him here and now. He quickly ducked into the kitchen to collect a bedtime snack and a few bottles of milk for the triplet girls, just in case they might want or need them later on during the overnight hours before dawn arrived again in the Hinata City local area. That done, he soon deposited those bottles into a mini-refrigerator near his bed, for all the obvious reasons here and now. After which, he soon climbed into bed, and fell asleep not long after doing so, quite naturally enough.

Not long after he then did so quite soundly enough, without any possible doubt at all, a mysterious woman very silently indeed entered his room, once it was safe enough to do so well enough, from somewhere outside it, and went over to his desk. The mysterious woman reached under her cloak, and withdrew a pouch from somewhere under it, as she sat at his desk. Then she opened the aforementioned pouch, once she was sitting down well enough, and took at least some, if not a lot of, things out of it. Among the various things she took out of it were a lock of considerably dark hair, a decently-thick sketchbook or two, and several drawing utensils, for instance, to name just a few things here and now. She also took out a few envelopes with no return address and no visible postmarking date for any of them, at least under normal enough ways of viewing them at the present time. She soon arranged all of those things on top of his desk as she then saw fit, before placing one last thing on it as well. That last thing being a moderately large photo album that most likely contained at least several dozen pictures in it, if not several hundred, somehow, for that matter. On the front cover of that photo album, then, there was a moderately large centered sunflower. An inscription in mostly gold-lettered script was itself centered just under the aforementioned sunflower, and it said, in that very same script, "Urashima Family Photographic Chronicles, Volume One." The script was in a calligraphic-style font with Western-style lettering in three lines, two words per line, with the sizes of the words getting smaller as they descended towards the bottom of the album's front cover. An ancient-looking scroll-like border circumscribed the edges of the album, which opened in a Western-style manner, not an Eastern-style manner, as well. On the back of the album, just inside the border on the bottom, in a similar font to the font for the script on the album's front cover, the script then bore the name of the manufacturer who made the album as needed, quite naturally enough.

Once everything was then on the desk as needed, she prepared to leave his room again, so that she might not be discovered well enough by anyone else then on the grounds. Before she left it, though, she went over to his bed and knelt by it briefly. She quietly leaned down, a few brief moments later, and suddenly took his face in her hands very gently indeed. The masked woman studied it briefly, before then slightly raising her mask, so that her mouth was unobstructed from anything at all at the present time. Cloak-san then pulled his face to hers, and she silently gave him a kiss without his knowledge, for at least a few seconds, if not even longer than that right now, by the way. As she began to pull away, so that she could exit his room here and now, all of a sudden, Naru removed the plank separating her room from Keitaro's room, and saw Keitaro being kissed by some unidentified figure.

Naru took a few seconds at most to register the fact that Keitaro was being kissed by a mysterious intruder, and then dropped down into his room, fully intent on confronting the intruder. Naru said, "Leave him alone, whoever you are, intruder!"

"What business is it of yours whether I kiss my husband or not, you psychotic barbarian?" asked Cloak-san, as she then pulled away slightly from the then-sleeping Keitaro.

"He is NOT your husband! Leave him alone!"

"And if I don't?" asked Cloak-san, as she secretly readied a few things under her cloak with one hand, and put her mask back as it should then be on her own face.

"Then I will punish you!" Naru's eyes began to heat up, in a manner of speaking, even as she yelled that at Cloak-san here and now. Cloak-san soon laid Keitaro, who was still sleeping quite soundly indeed, back fully under his covers, and continued to secretly ready the things she was then readying under her cloak.

"With what, you half-naked thugess?" Naru had decided to sleep in a two-piece swimsuit, in fact, strangely enough. Cloak-san suddenly whipped several of the things that she'd secretly just prepared at Naru here.

"I am very good at unarmed conflict, so I will thrash you if you do not leave him alone." Naru dodged those things as she said that, before suddenly grabbing a random shirt lying near her in Keitaro's room and donning it very quickly indeed, so that it fell to her upper legs when fully donned well enough.

"Don't mess with me, Narusegawa. You know little of true unarmed combat. I suggest you go back to your room before you find yourself wishing that you had followed my advice. Do not, and you will not like what happens because you didn't follow my advice. I have ways of letting others now in this place and elsewhere know of various things that you've done since my husband first got here last year, in fact." Cloak-san then ducked a few punches and blocked a few kicks from Naru here, once Naru had closed with her to a sufficient enough degree to allow her to do that well enough.

"He ISN'T married!" exclaimed Naru, as she also often tried to avoid being hit by Cloak-san in return, quite naturally enough, here and now.

"Not yet, but he will be, sometime in the future. Go back to bed, little girl. I have no real interest in wanting to thrash you, for my husband prefers that I not do so if I don't absolutely have to do so right now. But I will, if I must. Besides, you have a game tomorrow that you ultimately will need to participate in. I suggest that you forget about your foolish thoughts regarding my presence here at this time, or you will certainly have at least one reason to regret not doing so later, if not more than one, eventually."

"This is NOT over, Cloak-san, whoever you are!" shouted Naru, as Cloak-san suddenly leapt away from her and quickly exited Keitaro's room through his door. Naru, quite obviously enough, then chased her to the roof, after which, Cloak-san suddenly engaged a device then on her wrist, and summoned a large auto-piloted helicopter of some sort. Before Naru could somehow actually reach Cloak-san well enough on it, though, Cloak-san then quickly shimmied up an automatically-lowered rope ladder, and quite easily right back into the sky-colored helicopter in very short order indeed. Naru was quite quickly blown back onto the stairs, even as the aforementioned sky-colored helicopter then began to rapidly depart the immediate area of the Hinata Apartments, by the way. She was still there, several minutes, at least, later, when both Motoko and Mitsune eventually found her. Naru quickly described the very-unexpected confrontation with the mysterious intruder, before being very firmly indeed ushered right back to bed by both Motoko and Mitsune, not too much later. And she soon returned to sleep, as did everyone else who'd woken up due to the confrontation between Naru and Cloak-san just now, in fact. She remained asleep soundly enough at least until Shinobu eventually began cooking breakfast in the kitchen again, if not even longer than that, for that matter.

* * *

Chapter Four for this story will be posted as soon as possible. And it will begin on the day of the Lady Archeologists's first game, in fact. Expect much more in the next chapter, if and whenever possible and appropriate, then, everyone. Hope you all really enjoyed this chapter here, as well, of course. Until later, then, I'll bid you all farewell, and all the usual stuff. TUS out.


	5. Chapter 004:  New Battles? Part 002

This next chapter of the story here will most certainly have many surprises in it, I promise you all that here and now. Some good and some bad, quite obviously enough. And many things will happen in it, for sure. Even as the brand-new temporary tenants of the Hinata Apartments each begin getting at least a little, if not a lot, more familiar with various things and/or various people then around them all, in fact. And as the primary residents of the same place each begin to do the same in their own mortal lives as well, for that matter, by the way. I really don't want to spoil most, if not all, of this new chapter too much, of course, if I can possibly avoid doing so at all well enough, somehow. But I'll still actually say that there are some events in it that'll probably please those of you who actually happen to like certain _Love Hina_ canon characters at least a little bit, if not a lot, everyone. Like Shinobu, for just one of those very same characters from _Love Hina_, for just one example of such a canon character.

With no further ado, then, people, I hereby give you all Chapter Four of _Not Always As Things Seem_ here. I hope you each find at least some, if not a lot of, real enjoyment in the soon-to-follow chapter here, of course. And that you then will each seriously consider leaving me some quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews for it and any or all previous chapters of this story, as well, quite naturally enough. Until later, then, people, I'll therefore close this introduction to this chapter here, and let you all get to reading it at your own respective conveniences, for sure. And away I go again, as the need now requires for me here, everyone, so that I can then type up the necessary exit to this particular chapter at the very end of it, quite naturally enough. TUS out!

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Chapter Four

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The following morning:

* * *

The following morning, everyone was up by no later than 7:45 in the morning. The first to appear in the kitchen/dining room area after Shinobu was, quite naturally enough, Motoko. Motoko then calmly took roughly an hour-long soak in the springs after her training time that morning, seeing as it was now the females' time to use the hot springs in the morning without them having to ask permission from Keitaro here to do so well enough. While she was still in the springs, then, Naru eventually joined her. And the two of them soon got to talking about the mysterious intruder in Keitaro's room earlier that morning more than they'd already done on it. Then Mitsune eventually showed up, and conversed a bit about them as well, before both Shinobu and Kaolla eventually jointed them there as well for a while. However, Motoko, Naru, and Mitsune didn't discuss the matter of the mysterious intruder in front of either Kaolla or Shinobu, at least as of the present time, here and now. For they didn't all want to cause much potential fright for both of them here and now, if any at all, if they could possibly avoid doing so well enough somehow, for sure.

Before the others started to wake up in their own beds, then, all five of the aforementioned young women eventually left the hot springs with each other, and got dressed for the day. That done, Shinobu and the others soon prepared for breakfast, even in terms of setting the necessary tables, as needed and as appropriate, then. By no later than 8:15 in the morning, everyone who was now on the grounds started to have their respective breakfasts with each other, no matter what they were. Once breakfast was over sufficiently well for everyone, and all the necessary clean-up duties had been dealt with well enough for the current time, everyone soon dispersed to their respective rooms for at least an hour or two, if not longer.

Everyone eventually assembled in the main room, and each soon put on several items of winter wear, quite naturally enough, before Keitaro then led everyone now with him out the main doors to the Hinata Apartments and down the steps for them. They all decided to walk to the nearby Youth Center, in fact, and try to enjoy the mutual trip to there with each other, for that matter. As they all walked with each other to the nearby Youth Center, Keitaro eventually asked, "Something seems to be really on your mind now, Naru-san. Do you mind if I ask what it might be?"

"Yes, I do. And, no, I really don't want to talk about it with you right now, if ever, for that matter, Keitaro. So let me think about it without you possibly nagging me to tell you what's on my mind now, if you don't mind."

"Fine. At least for now, that is. But if it somehow involves me, as I think it very well might, I do believe I do have a right to know eventually what's on your mind, for the obvious reasons, of course, Naru."

"If it does, then I will let you know, if and when I see fit. Got it?"

"Watch it, Naru. I can tell it's major, somehow, just what you're thinking about right here and right now, in fact. And you know that I know how you often act when something major is on your mind well enough at a particular time. So watch yourself, for the obvious reasons, of course."

"Mind your own business, please, for now, Keitaro."

"Fine. But you can't keep whatever is on your mind bottled up forever, I'm sure. If you do, then you'll perhaps come to regret doing so later on, most likely, if I'm not too mistaken here and now about such things."

"And what about you? You don't always tell us what you're thinking, Keitaro. You certainly didn't tell any of us before you arbitrarily decided to sign us all up to participate in two versions of an amateur basketball league, it seems to me," said Naru, as she glared at Keitaro.

"So what if I don't always tell you all just what I might be thinking at certain times in my own mortal life, Naru-san? So I arbitrarily chose to sign us all up to participate in such versions of that league. Well, you've done a whole lot of things too, very arbitrarily indeed, without telling any or all of us just what you're doing beforehand well enough, for sure. Or why, for that matter, come to think of it," said Keitaro, even while he was also seriously trying to keep both his voice and his temper at civilized enough levels where everyone in his group now was.

"Oh, yeah? Like what, for example, Keitaro?"

"Like when you automatically assume that I'm generally up to no real good with certain young tenants of mine, for example, Naru-san. It's not always my fault that I end up in certain wild situations, from time to time, in fact. Especially if I may often end up in them after you or Motoko, if not both of you, for instance, have periodically knocked me for a real loop or something else just mere moments before, I believe."

"You're a male, Keitaro. Many men and/or boys would just love to take inappropriate liberties with certain women and/or girls, I'm quite sure."

"But I'm not really one of those kinds of men, Naru-san. At least two of my friends might be, if not more, for sure. But I certainly am not one of those kinds of men. You can't fairly enough paint all males with the same brush, inclination-wise, at least. While we may all normally have the same parts, in essence, anatomically-speaking, we are not all the same in many areas of our own respective mortal lives. I don't really know all that much about females, mind you, for all the obvious reasons, and perhaps even for some reasons that aren't so obvious. But I would still strongly suspect that not all females are totally like each other in their respective lives, somehow, just the same."

"No, we're not. But why did you let someone kiss you this morning, then?"

"Nobody kissed me, Naru-san. Not even in my dreams, believe it or not. You must be imagining things here and now," said Keitaro.

"Someone kissed you while you were sleeping. I saw it, in fact, when I couldn't sleep for some reason this morning."

"Oh, really! And who might this mythical kisser be, then, Naru-san?"

"I don't actually know who she was for sure, just yet, in fact. But I most certainly will find out, if at all possible, somehow, just the same, Keitaro. She invaded your room and kissed you while you were sleeping. Unfortunately, she got away before I could subdue her."

"What proof do you have that there was an intruder in my room, even?"

"Look on your desk when you get back, Keitaro. She left several things for you there before I confronted her in your room. And she left several lipstick traces at least on your blankets and the collar of the pajama top you wore last night, if not anywhere else as well, for that matter."

"I don't believe you, Naru," said Keitaro, as the group passed a few stores between the Apartments and the Youth Center they were still going to at the current time.

"Fine, don't believe me. But they were there, just the same, this morning, Keitaro," said Naru, as calmly as she possibly could do just that at the current time.

The others with her now all shot her very skeptical looks, so she decided to drop the matter at least for the time being around them, if not permanently. And she began to try to prepare her mind for the upcoming game against the Juuban Senshi for the Hinata Lady Archeologists not too much later, in fact. By the time that the group finally arrived at the applicable Youth Center, then, her mind was quite focused on the upcoming contest, to some considerable degree, if not totally, for that matter.

Not too long after everyone ultimately arrived at the Youth Center now in question here, the young women met the rest of their teammates who they may not have yet met before in their lives. Among those other teammates who they then met, of course, was Mutsumi, quite naturally enough. When they came to the necessary locker room in it, already there in it were Haruka, Mutsumi, the triplets, and four other young women. Those other young women soon introduced themselves at Nyamo Namo, Ema Maeda, Mei Narusegawa, and Akiko Taichi.

All five of the primary tenants of the Hinata Apartments and Keitaro already knew quite well indeed of Akiko by now, for she went to school with Shinobu and Kaolla now. The others who would be on the female Hinatan team in the applicable league soon introduced themselves to Akiko, where applicable, of course.

As for Mei, Naru knew of Mei, for Mei was her fifth-degree cousin on her mother's side and third-degree cousin on her father's side, while it was the opposite for Mei in relation to Naru. Not to mention that they both actually went to the same school in the Hinata City local area, for that matter, here and now. Naru soon introduced Mei to all those people now near her and Mei who didn't yet know of her well enough before the current time in all their lives, where and when applicable and/or appropriate enough here and now, for all the obvious reasons, of course. Mei was now just about as tall as Naru was, if not just about as tall as Mutsumi or Motoko was. And Mei also had considerably redder hair than Naru now had for herself, which she'd normally wear in an especially attractive double-ponytailed style, if and whenever possible in her own life. Mei was quite tall and fairly athletic-looking too, with somewhat long arms and legs, hands and feet that were each slightly larger than the average female hands and feet, and a well-proportioned and very strong-looking, yet still youthful-looking, build for herself. Her outwardly looks were not quite of the particular kind that many, if not all, men would perhaps consider gorgeous, but she still seemed very attractive-looking, just the same, at least as of the present time, in her own mortal life.

Nyamo, for her part, looked almost like a dead-ringer for Shinobu, more or less, except for her considerably more-tanned skin. Where Shinobu was much lighter-skinned, Nyamo was much darker-skinned. But they still had a lot of similarities, just the same. When Shinobu asked Keitaro where he'd found Nyamo, Keitaro said, "Strangely enough, I found her in a library in Tokyo while in the process of heading back to the Apartments after one of my flights courtesy of Naru and Motoko around your birthday, Shinobu. She lives with distant relatives of yours in the Hinata area, it seems, but told me not to tell you this until there was a good time to do so well enough, for reasons I am still not at sufficient liberty to discuss with you all. If and when she gives me permission, I will then reveal those reasons, as necessary and as appropriate, subject to her direction. For I made her a promise not to reveal certain things too early to the rest of you, if I could possibly ever avoid it at all somehow. And you know how important I regard my promises, Shinobu."

"That I do, Senpai. You would rather keep your promises to the best of your ability rather than to break them needlessly and avoidably. Say no more, if you don't have to, about such a promise, then, of course. I understand well enough here, I think, about this particular promise of yours."

"Thank you, Blueberry-chan." At that, Shinobu soon smiled, much to many other people's surprise near her at the current time.

"Blueberry-chan?" asked Motoko.

"She often smells like blueberries, it seems, Motoko-san," said Keitaro.

"I see. And I hope you are not trying to flirt with her right now, by calling her that, Urashima."

"No, of course not, Motoko-san."

As for Ema Maeda, she was of mostly feminine-based average height, weight, and build as of the current time in her own mortal life, if not totally. She still clearly had at least a few more long years, if not many more years, of significant enough growing to do in it, most likely. Ema now appeared to be roughly twelve or thirteen years old, perhaps, more or less, whether or not she was herself actually either of those particular two ages chronologically in it. She didn't yet have the current height of even Mitsune, for instance, if she ever would, but she was still somewhat attractive-looking for her age. Not with certain looks that supposedly would eventually come to knock many, if not all, proverbial males dead, in time. But with looks that were still somewhat attractive-looking, at least in the potential sense of perhaps being somewhat charming, somewhat amusing, and somewhat intelligent all at the same time, more or less. Either now or in potential futures for her and/or others in her own life, for that matter.

Eventually, Keitaro left the Hinatans' assigned locker room behind, and took the triplets with him when he did so, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course. He soon found Seta in the bleachers designated for the Hinatan supporters lightly conversing with Shirai and Haitani, along with several other teammates of theirs, in fact. Seta said, "I wonder if the ladies' game against the Senshi will be as hard-fought a game as ours was against the Knights yesterday, Keitaro."

"Who knows, Seta? Naru seemed really upset this morning while we were coming here. I hope she doesn't carry her upsetness into the game, of course, for that matter."

"I don't understand, Keitaro. Please explain, if you don't mind too much."

Keitaro then spent at least twenty minutes conversing with Seta and others near enough to them about various people and things as the need or desire for him to do so well enough arose for him, at least, if not others as well. By the time that all of the Lady Archeologists eventually came out to warm up before the game was ultimately due to start, Keitaro shared much conversation with Seta, Kimiaki, Masayuki, Bruce, Rufus, Cyrus, and Willis, at least, if not others as well.

The Lady Archeologists soon came out onto the necessary court, and practiced for a while, before eventually yielding it to the Senshi so that they could do the same as well before the game. Once both teams had been able to practice enough on it before the game, then, the two teams soon went to their respective ends of the court as necessary and as appropriate enough at the current time. Not long after they both did so, then, the two teams sent their chosen starters out onto the court, of course.

The Juuban Senshi started a lineup that had Makoto Kino as their center, Minako Aino and Rei Hino as their forwards, and Usagi Tsukino and Ami Mizuno as their guards. Their bench players at the present time were Haruka Tenoh, Setsuna Meioh, Michiru Kaioh, Hotaru Tomoe, Reika Nishimura, Naru Osaka, and Unazuki Furuhata, for that matter. And their coach was, in fact, Haruna Sakurada, quite naturally enough, as well.

As for the Hinata Lady Archeologists, they themselves started a lineup that had Motoko as their center, Naru and Mitsune as their forwards, and Kaolla and Shinobu as their guards. Their own bench players at the current time were Mutsumi, Shenali, Moriah, Nyamo, Ema, Mei, and Akiko, as a matter of sheer necessity here and now. Of course, Haruka Urashima herself was their own coach, in tun, for all the obvious enough reasons, then and there.

Aoyama barely won the opening tip from Kino. Kaolla received the ball, and soon found Konno streaking to the basket from the right side, past Hino and Tsukino. Konno got the Hinatans on the board first with a close-in shot. Tsukino soon passed the ball into Mizuno, and Mizuno set up the Senshi offense in very short order. It wasn't more than fifteen seconds after that before she found Aino open in the high post on the left side, and Aino popped a jumper near there to tie the score at 2-2.

The first quarter of the game was a hard-fought affair, with several fouls on both sides, quite naturally enough. A good number of misses were present in the quarter for both teams, but it eventually ended with Juuban being ahead 24-19, just the same.

The second quarter went much smoother for both teams as they each got into the prevailing flow of the game. But some players on both teams still started to get into potential foul trouble for certain players on them, of course. The first half ended with Juuban still ahead 50-47, but at least two, if not more than two, players on each team had gotten at least two personal fouls each, but no more than three, so far in the game. For the Lady Archeologists, those two most-fouling players were Naru and Motoko, with three such fouls apiece. While Mitsune and Kaolla had two personal fouls, and everyone else on Hinata's team except Webb, Garedenel, and Maeda had one such foul each. Naru also had one technical foul hanging over her proverbial head as well for playing too aggressively so far in the game.

The most-fouling Senshi, for Juuban's own part in the game, were Tenoh and Hino, with three personal fouls apiece, while Aino and the other three starters for them in it then had only two such fouls each. Nishimura, Meioh, and Kaioh also had two fouls apiece themselves in it. While Osaka and Tomoe then had one each, and Furuhata had none to this point in it. Tenoh also now had one technical foul against her as well for playing too aggressively in the game, earned at the exact same time that Narusegawa had earned her own technical foul in it.

The teams soon adjourned to their respective assigned locker rooms elsewhere in the Youth Center. It wasn't too much later when Narusegawa began to rant and rave at least a little bit due to how things had gone for her in the game. She soon said, "They're playing particularly rough, it seems, with us, for certain players of theirs. Tenoh is really getting on my nerves, for instance."

Haruka quickly said, "Naru, you are evidently spoiling for a real fight now, and you have also been playing somewhat roughly yourself in the game. You are therefore going to sit for a while, once we go back out there for the second half. Motoko, you too are going to sit for a while, for they are drawing too many needless fouls from you out on the court, either through inexperience or through lack of sufficient enough temper control. You nearly earned some technical fouls out there, in fact, for that matter. Mitsune, you perhaps were lucky that the referees missed a few calls that might have gone against us, in the course of things in the game. Otherwise, you might also be in foul trouble here along with Motoko and Naru. Kaolla, you will need to be more careful with your activities on the court, for they seem to be getting better at defending against you in the game. Shinobu, you need to be more willing to shoot, for they're not really paying enough attention to you at present."

Haruka paused to take a sip of some tea then near her, before continuing. "For the most part, several, if not all, of you have done reasonably well for your likely first times playing basketball in an amateur league of some sort. There may be some of you with more substantial experience in such athletic endeavors, but not many of you may yet have that experience in your respective lives, quite naturally enough. So we will all need to see if we can get those of you with little of it much more of it, of course. We will all need to learn how to work better with each other as the season goes on, for sure. But I fully believe that we can, just the same."

"True, and just how are we going to do that, then, Sensei?" asked Mei.

"We will need to practice often with each other, obviously. Perhaps even with the guys, from time to time. Don't look at me like that, Motoko. Some of the other teams in the league may also be hard to compete against, and may often play somewhat physical with us. So therefore, you might need to learn how not to let them do so well enough, in a sufficiently sportsmanlike way, of course. The males might perhaps allow us to do that well enough, somehow. They may play physical as well from time to time, obviously enough. But perhaps they still can teach you all better just how not to actually let other teams' players just push you around quite easily in many, if not most, of our games. I have already broached the very distinct possibilities that certain other teams might play somewhat physically in them against us with Keitaro and Seta. And they both generally agree that may indeed be the case with several other teams in this league."

"You would have us practice against men?" asked Naru.

"Yes. You need to learn how to not let others push you around so easily as I've so far seen from many of you in this game, Naru. Perhaps the men might be able to help you learn that well enough, or maybe not. But we won't know that well enough unless we practice against them, if and whenever possible. You are intelligent, generally, no doubt, and perhaps you can all teach them as well better ways to not let their opponents outplay them so easily as they seemed to let the Knights do at times during yesterday's game, in return," said Haruka, as several of her players took notes on what she was now talking about with her team, quite naturally enough, where and when possible enough.

"So who is going to be on the court when the second half begins, then, Sensei?" asked Mutsumi, as she sipped some watermelon-touched green tea.

"Mutsumi, you are going to be starting the second half as our center. Shenali and Ema, as our forwards. Moriah and Shinobu, as our guards. Mei, you are going to be the first forward to come off the bench, if and when Shenali or Ema needs a break well enough. Nyamo, in your case, you will be the next one of our guards to come off the bench, if and when Moriah or Shinobu needs a break well enough, for that matter. I don't actually know just who the Senshi are going to throw out there on the court when the game resumes, in a little while, of course. But Shinobu will still run things as long as she's on the court, at least for now, if not for the rest of the game, for sure. Follow her lead, everyone, as the need arises. Meanwhile, the rest of you should pay great attention to how the other five girls are playing in the game, for all the obvious reasons here. They may be looking for several of you to play aggressively, due to the way that Motoko and Naru, at least, have already played in the game. We are going to play as strategically as we possibly can, with no easy fouls given as best as we can possibly avoid them all, people. Play tight, but not too tight. Do not let them have easy shots, if you can avoid it, but challenge them as best as you can, just the same. Mutsumi and Ema, when you each can guard them, especially against their taller folks, guard them quite closely, if you can. Be like a moving brick wall, in essence, perhaps, if you can, and do what you can to draw fouls from them. Perhaps we can force Tenoh out of the game, along with Hino and/or Kino. Once those two or three are out of the game, they will perhaps be much easier to match up with, I think. If we can reduce them to a maximum of nine or ten eligible players in the game, and avoid losing as many players in it as they do, then we might have better success against the them in the remainder of the game."

Several minutes or so later, then, everyone eventually left their assigned locker room in order to go back onto the court as they all had to, of course. As did their opponents from the other locker room, quite naturally enough, as well. Both teams soon warmed up briefly on the court before the game resumed.

The Senshi went with a three-guard configuration that included Meioh as their center and Furuhata as a forward. The three guards they started the second half with were Osaka, Tsukino, and Mizuno, with Osaka substituting at least temporarily for Hino. Furuhata took Aino's place temporarily, and Meioh took Kino or Tenoh's place, at that time, as well.

The Lady Archeologists then sent out Otohime, Webb, Maeda, Garedenel, and Maehara, as Haruka had just decided that they should. Much to the surprise of many then watching the game at the present time, in fact. The second-half tip then went in Otohime's favor, and the ball soon landed right in Maehara's hands. Maehara soon brought the ball up the court, and eventually passed it to Maeda, when the need for her to do so then arose. Maeda held onto it briefly before then kicking it out to Garedenel for a bit. Moriah dribbled around for a while, before finding a streaking Webb for two points, just before the shot clock was due to expire, making the current score now 50-49, Juuban.

Juuban's Osaka passed in the ball to Mizuno, and they quickly passed the ball up the court to Furuhata, who soon shot from the middle of the free-throw lane, for two, to allow Juuban to spread their lead to three points again. That basket of Furuhata's soon led to much basket-trading over the first three to five minutes, more or less, of the second half, before the teams then began to periodically swap players in and out again, in fact.

By the time that Naru and Motoko finally got back into the game with about a minute or so to go in the third quarter, the game's current score was 69-65 in favor of the Lady Archeologists. Naru replaced Ema, while Motoko replaced Mutsumi, for a time. Kaolla had been back in the game for two or so minutes by that time, having just replaced Moriah, and Nyamo had taken temporarily over for Shinobu, while Mitsune had done the same for Shenali.

The Senshi soon subbed Tomoe for Tsukino and Nishimura for Furuhata, along with Hino and Aino for Osaka and Meioh, respectively. Mizuno remained in the game for a little while longer, after many other changes in the players then on the court had been made during the third quarter of the game, in fact. By the time that the third quarter finally ended for both teams, then, the game's current score was actually 74-72, in favor of the Lady Archeologists.

The fourth quarter began slowly, points-wise, before Tenoh and Kino both fouled out for the Senshi. While the Lady Archeologists lost both Naru and Konno due to them both fouling out of the game as well. Aoyama still remained able to play in the game, but she was herself one foul away from fouling out herself. Meioh ultimately had to then take over the center position for most, if not all, of the rest of the game for the Senshi. While Ema and Webb replaced Naru and Konno, respectively, in due enough time.

Aoyama and Hino each soon fouled out of the game as well. Which soon forced the Lady Archeologists to actually replace Aoyama with either Mei or Mutsumi for the rest of it, for all of the obvious reasons here and now. And the Senshi to ultimately replace Hino with either Kaioh, Furuhata, or Nishimura, as the case might be, for the rest of it as well, for the very same reasons.

When Hino fouled out of the game just after Aoyama did so, the current score of the game was then 83-82, in favor of the Lady Archeologists. With three players from either team then disqualified from any further play in the game, the game soon picked up speed, points-wise. The fourth quarter ended in a tie, which then forced both teams to go to overtime, with the current score of the game 91-91, at the end of regulation.

Overtime play ended two overtime periods of five minutes each later, in the favor of Juuban, with the final score of the game 111-109. The last ten players on the court at the end of the game were Mei Narusegawa, Webb, Maeda, Garedenel, and Maehara for the Lady Archeologists, and Meioh, Kaioh, Osaka, Tsukino, and Mizuno. The clinching shot for the Juuban Senshi was sunk by Tsukino with just about four seconds left in the second overtime, and it was the last made shot in the game, for that matter. Maehara soon fed the ball quickly to Webb in one corner of the court on the Hinatans' offensive end, but Webb somehow missed a very hurried three-point shot released just before the required buzzer to end the second overtime. It then rolled around the applicable rim for at least a few seconds after the buzzer sounded, as everyone now watching the game anxiously waited to see if it actually would end up in the basket or not for three points. Unfortunately, it didn't fall in, but fell right off the rim and right down onto the court, ultimately. Which then guaranteed a victory for the Senshi, of course, here and now.

The two teams soon shook hands, et cetera, before Naru Narusegawa eventually said, "Good game, I must admit, Senshi. But perhaps we'll meet again at least once or twice more this season, if at all possible."

"Count on it, Naru-san," said Aino. "You Hinatans weren't too bad here, in truth, once you all got going well enough. But we still beat you here and now, just the same. I earnestly look forward to our next contest against each other, in this very same league here, then. You all might really want to closely watch the personal fouls, at least, though, against certain other teams you might play in this league, I think. Look out for Yokohama's team, for instance. They are often very good, from what I've heard so far about them, in fact. They won this league's female version last year, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. And at least three of the last five years before that, as well."

"Who else might we need to watch out for, then, Aino-san?" asked Konno.

"Look out for the team from Shiranai Engoku Seito Tsuki, another neighborhood near us in Minato-ku, Konno-san. Word has it that they might have a very good team as well. I don't know much about them at the moment. Nor do most, if not all, of the rest of my teammates, it seems. But that team has periodically been known to do fairly well in the female version of this league for at least the last decade or so, I believe. If not Yokohama or us, your biggest competition could possibly come from them, if I'm not too mistaken here."

The Senshi and the Lady Archeologists soon parted from each other for the rest of the day, and then they each went to their own currently-assigned locker rooms to clean themselves up as needed, of course. The Lady Archeologists and the Senshi did not see each other again after everyone from both teams eventually left the applicable Youth Center behind for the rest of the day, quite obviously enough here and now.

The Hinatans all very soon afterward returned to the Hinata Apartments with each other, quite naturally enough. After which, most of them then returned to their respective rooms or to the Tea Shop until supper was ready to be served well enough as necessary and appropriate, if they had any in either place. Not all of them, of course, but most of them, just the same.

Shinobu ultimately soon prepared enough food and drink items for the necessary suppers of herself, of her teammates, Haruka, Seta, Keitaro, and the rest of the current male tenants at the Hinata Apartments, at least. She also prepared at least one round each of various food and drink items for the suppers of Shirai, Haitani, and the rest of Keitaro's current teammates, for that matter. In essence, then, she fed and provided the equivalent of at least thirty or forty meals to roughly two dozen people, more or less, at the current time, in fact. Supper between everyone then at it lasted for at least an hour, if not longer, before it finally ended well enough to suit everyone sufficiently well. After it finally did so well enough, Shirai and many others then left the Hinata Apartments' grounds for at least the rest of the current night, if not even longer than that, for all the obvious reasons here and now. But not after a very sudden surprise birthday party for Moriah, arranged very secretly by Haruka, Bruce, Shinobu, and Keitaro the previous night, just before Haruka went out with Seta on a date of a sort.

Everyone who still remained on them eventually retired to their respective rooms for the rest of the night, with Bruce and Moriah being the last of them to do so well enough. Bruce and Moriah had decided to just stay on the roof for the Hinata Apartments' main building for some considerable length of time after supper, as still another birthday gift from Bruce to her, and enjoy seeing the stars above their heads in the sky.

While they enjoyed their time on the roof with each other, Bruce and Moriah conversed periodically with each other about their future plans in their respective lives. Among the things they discussed in relation to them was Moriah's interest in a possible future musical career for herself in her life, for instance. Moriah said, "If it is our Lord's will, I would like to at least periodically perform musical concerts in various places all over the world as He directs me to, Bruce. However, wherever He decides that we should have a home base, if He ever decides that we should, I would like our home or homes to be able to have a garden of some sort on our property or properties. As you know, I am much into gardening in my spare time. So I would really love to have a garden wherever the Lord feels we should base ourselves out of at any time in our lives together, for sure."

"Do you think you'll ever be performing along with Willis Bardstar professionally in at least one professional music-related performance, if not more than one, then?" Bruce soon put his arm nearest Moriah just a little bit more around her than it had just been, with her willing mostly-unspoken consent here and now.

"I honestly don't, Bruce Starkey Munro. At least not at this time, anyway. However, I won't deny that it might be at least somewhat interesting to see us ever perform together at least once, if not more than once, in such a manner professionally, just the same. Supposing that our Lord ever feels that we should do just that, somehow, of course. I don't know if Willis would feel the same way that I do about such a potentiality, if it ever came to pass, somehow, for the obvious reasons. But at least I do know how I currently feel about such a potentiality eventually ever doing so, if it ever did." Moriah soon took a sip of some cocoa then near her from a normally-covered cup, before she continued to speak here and now. She then laid her head briefly on his nearest shoulder to her, and smiled up at him a bit before she straightened up a bit and returned to studying the nearby skies here and now. Moriah soon said, "From what I can tell of our various fellow residents at these Apartments well enough so far, it somehow seems to me that Shinobu really likes Keitaro here and now, for example. However, she somehow still seems to be at least a little, if not much, too young for him right now in her life. At least physically-speaking, she does, anyway. Not necessarily in other potentially possible ways now, but at least physically, mind you, Bruce."

"I quite fully agree with you, Mozi Dear. She seems more mature mentally, at least, than she does physically, at the current time, I'm quite sure. Now she may not actually be the age she seems to be now, or she could be. But, still, I think that of all the people who could perhaps fit best with Keitaro here in their respective mortal lives, Shinobu would perhaps be the best potential future mate for Keitaro in them. I could be wrong, quite wrong, of course, about such things, but only time will tell, if it ever does, about them, wouldn't you think?" asked Bruce, as he calmly began to run his hands through Moriah's black hair here and now in a very gentle, yet very affectionate, manner indeed.

Moriah thought about that for a while, as she seemed to purr somehow under his gentle touch on and in her hair at the present time. Not only that, but she also relaxed a little bit under it, leaning a bit more against him as he somewhat quietly ministered to her here and now, for that matter. She remained in that general position against him for several minutes, before then saying, "I suppose so, my dear storyteller."

Bruce soon asked, "Do you think there really was a mysterious intruder or not here last night, as Naru claimed?"

Moriah answered, "I really don't know. For I don't have enough evidence one way or another to be sufficiently sure here. I suppose it could very well be possible, of course. But after talking at some length in private with Haruka for a bit before she left tonight, I really can't tell at the moment what the actual truth is or may be right now."

"I see. So if Naru is right, at least a little bit, if not a lot, about there being a mysterious intruder, when do you think we'll know that for sure well enough, Mozi?" Bruce then began to give Moriah Zion Garedenel a back and shoulders rub with her current consent here. He massaged those areas of her as needed and/or desired for at least ten or so minutes, as he waited for her next reply here.

About halfway through that massage, she eventually said, "Perhaps in a few weeks or so, if the supposed mysterious intruder is found out and secured well enough, I think. It could even be sooner than that. Or it could be some length of time longer than just a few weeks here, of course." She smiled briefly at him with still-closed eyes as she nestled more into him, before saying, "What will be, will be, as the Lord allows, I'm sure."

"That's true, I suppose, Mozi. Sometimes the waiting for Him is very difficult to comprehend or to deal with, though, you know."

"Yes, Bruce, but He is still our Master, you know. And as He leads, we must all then follow Him as necessary, of course. We are each not the Master, or the Mistress, as the actual case might then be for any and all sentient beings from anywhere in the Universe at all, of it. But He and the other two Persons of God are the True Masters of the Universe, for sure. Now I don't really know if any other sentient still-mortal beings from anywhere else in the Universe besides Earth somehow exist now, quite honestly here and now. But if there actually are such beings, from anywhere else out there in the innumerable star systems and/or Galaxies, for example, then I'd certainly have to believe very strongly indeed that they'd all have to eventually decide as well whether or not to follow Him in their own lives, quite obviously enough. Many will not accept our Master, quite unfortunately indeed for them and their eternal fates. Either on this world or any number of others, I'm quite sure. That's supposing that those various other worlds actually do exist anywhere else in the Universe somehow with sentient enough life on them, if I'm not too mistaken here and now."

"So if such life does exist out there, somehow, what kind of life do you think it'll be?" Bruce soon ended the massage she'd just let him give her, once she said he'd massaged her enough here and now for at least the time being, if not for quite a while.

"Hard to say, but I highly doubt that all of it will be much like the various innumerable aliens often seen in any number of science fiction stories, whether written in books or shown in television shows or movies. In the meantime, though, I suppose we'd both best get to bed in our respective beds soon. We have school tomorrow, if I'm not too mistaken here, of course, Bruce."

"As you wish, my dear Princess."

"Technically, I am not a legal Princess, but I don't really care. As long as I'm your Princess, at least, that's just fine with me, though."

"Of course you are, Mozi. But more our Lord's than mine, more accurately, you know."

"Sure thing, Chronicler. May our Lord grant you peaceful dreams. And I look ever forward to the day when we can finally be as one with each other for an entire lifetime together, if our Master wills it to actually be the case somehow until He calls us home."

Mere minutes later, at most, they both parted, and retired to their respective rooms for the rest of the night. After they each finally fell asleep, then, every single then-known soul in either the Tea Shop or the Apartments was quite soundly asleep, and not very likely to wake up for at least a few hours, if not even longer than that.

* * *

A cloaked and masked woman soon left a nearby alley several blocks away, just before she began heading towards the Apartments at a brisk speed, but not too brisk at the current time. She was not seen or heard, for all the doors and windows between where she'd just been and the Apartments were closed and locked and covered, due to the cold weather then present in the local area. That same woman soon came to the bottom of the main stairs in front of the Apartments' grounds, and withdrew several devices from various places under her cloak. Including a cloaking device of some sort that would hopefully allow her secure enough access onto and off the Apartments' grounds, for that matter, for instance. In fact, she withdrew, activated, and used that cloaking device first of all the devices that she'd just taken out from under her cloak right after reaching the bottom of the main stairs for the Apartments' complex.

She soon activated and used many, if not all, of those various devices as needed here while she made her way up the main stairs for the Apartments' complex. Cloak-san then moved into the main room, and dropped on the table, in a well-secured box bearing Keitaro's name on it, at least a few pictures of Naru in potentially compromising situations with several males, along with several video tapes labeled, "Naru's Secret Adventures When Keitaro's Away." The box in question showed no hints of anything at all inside of it, and it was even quite Kaolla-proof at the current time, in fact, as it bore Keitaro's name in several places all over it.

Then she moved into the main kitchen/dining room area, and placed several cookbooks and other cooking-related items in various places all over it where only Shinobu was likely to eventually notice them well enough. She remained in the kitchen/dining room area for about ten or so minutes, at most, before leaving it again for her next stop in the Apartments' main building. She then moved up to the second floor by using the main stairs, but not before grabbing a few more bottles of milk from the main fridge for Keitaro's mini-fridge in his room.

The first room that Cloak-san then moved to on the second floor was Shinobu's, where she first silently tucked Shinobu quite securely indeed back under her own covers which had slid partly off her as she then still slept in her bed. With Shinobu then so secured, Cloak-san soon hid Shinobu's visible currently-open sketchbook and drawing utensils in a secure enough area in her room, so that nobody else would be able to see what she'd been drawing earlier before she'd found herself in her bed for the rest of the night, if Shinobu wouldn't want them to do just that at all too soon. Cloak-san soon smiled, under her mask, after securing said drawing-related items sufficiently well at the current time, in fact. Mere moments later, after placing several dozen plushies of assorted sizes, shapes, and appearances in various places all over her room, along with a note purportedly from a secret admirer of some sort, Cloak-san then departed Shinobu's room very silently indeed.

The next room in the Apartments' main building that she quickly visited was Bruce's. And she stayed only long enough there to deposit several hundred scrolls and assorted other items in a decently-sized case near his desk. Not to mention also a moderately short letter then containing at least basic, if not extensive, information about each of those various scrolls and various other items, as necessary and as appropriate, on top of his desk, for that matter.

Then she moved to Keitaro's room in very short order. The first thing she did was to totally secure his room from any potential detection methods or interference from anywhere else in the entire Apartments' complex, quite naturally enough. She soon stuck three Care Bears under his current top arm as he still slept in his room here. Most specifically, the Care Bears she stuck under that arm were Tenderheart, Cheer, and Bedtime Bears. She then moved elsewhere in his room, in very short order, and proceeded to straighten up some mess that he'd unintentionally left before unexpectedly flopping down front-first on his bed still fully-dressed about an hour or so before. Before she finally left his room again, she kissed his forehead briefly, and left a few other things in secret hiding places of his that she then knew of well enough.

Mitsune's room was her next stop at the current time. And she soon slipped into the room just as silently as she'd slipped into each of the other rooms that she'd already accessed well enough in the Apartments' main building, in fact. Cloak-san spent several more minutes going through several accessible papers then on Mitsune's desk, and accessing several of the programs then on Mitsune's computer, as she then saw fit to do at the current time. By the time she finished doing so well enough, she'd straightened up and improved a number of the still-unpublished stories that Mitsune had most recently been working on of late, to at least some degree, if not to a great degree, as necessary and as appropriate, for that matter. Before she finally left Mitsune's room again, she deposited one Care Bear on top of Mitsune's desk and another in her arms. The one that she quickly placed on Mitsune's desk was Birthday Bear, and the one that she just as quickly placed in Mitsune's arms was Funshine Bear, by the way. Once both Care Bears were placed in Mitsune's room as she now wished to place them both in it, Cloak-san then departed Mitsune's room quite quickly indeed.

She then visited Shenali's room as she slept in her bed, and ultimately left some books related to geopolitics, world history, and art history on top of her desk in her room. Also she left some novels mainly in the literary genres of action/adventure, historical, and young adult fiction, for that matter, on top of it as well near the other books on it. Not to mention her then leaving there a perhaps medium-sized pouch containing assorted yet-unknown items, by the way, as well. With all the desired deposits then placed as she so wished to make them all in Shenali's room, Cloak-san then departed it just as silently as she'd entered it minutes before, of course.

After then leaving Shenali's room behind, Cloak-san quickly found and ascended the nearest stairwell to the Apartments' third floor. Her first stop on that floor was then the Bardstars' room. She didn't stay very long in it, in fact. However, she did stay in it at least long enough to leave several items on each of the desks for the triplets then sleeping in it, just the same, as the need and/or desire then arose for her to do so well enough.

After leaving the Bardstar trio's room, Cloak-san soon entered Naru's room, and began to place several things all over it and around Naru. Even as Naru still slept very soundly indeed in her very own room in the Hinata Apartments for all the obvious reasons here and now. She soon left many things all over Naru's room, and even stuck two Care Bears in Naru's arms as she did so. The ones that she placed in Naru's arms as she slept were Grumpy and Birthday Bears, for that matter. By the time that she finally left Naru's room behind here and now, she had done much in Naru's room as quickly and as efficiently as possible, in fact.

She then very briefly indeed entered Moriah's current room in the Hinata Apartments, and left a few things there for her in various places all over it. And she also then secretly left at least a few other items, if not a lot of items, somewhere else in it meant specifically for Mutsumi Otohime, believe it or not. For she currently suspected very strongly indeed that Mutsumi might somehow actually find herself living in that very same room someday. Supposing, of course, that Cloak-san's thoughts at the time of Keitaro's promise from many years before ever actually worked out well enough somehow to then make such a very improbable-seeming thing possible enough, in fact. A few minutes later, at most, then, Cloak-san quickly departed from Moriah's current room in the Apartments.

Cloak-san's next stop was Motoko's room. When she got to Motoko's room, she soon removed Motoko's outerwear, but not her underwear, for reasons of sheer decency here, at least, if not others as well. With that now done, she then painted her in any possible areas whatsoever where Motoko's skin might somehow be visible once Cloak-san was finished dealing with her as she saw fit here and now. It took her at least a little while, if not a long while, to paint Motoko as she then saw fit to here sufficiently well, in fact. Once she was ultimately painted quite well enough to then actually suit Cloak-san quite well indeed, Cloak-san very quietly placed Motoko in a turtle suit of some sort, as Motoko began to stir briefly here and now. But Motoko wasn't somehow able to actually stir well enough for a long enough time, once Cloak-san then used a few suitable enough pressure points to force her quite safely indeed back into a state of very sound sleep here and now, in truth. It wasn't too much longer at all before Motoko was quite sufficiently indeed made to look like some sort of rare turtle, even down to the tail and flippers, for that matter, as she still slept in her own room for the Hinata Apartments. Once Cloak-san ultimately felt that she'd then done enough to Motoko's very own mortal person at the current time, she quickly moved to any number of various other places all over Motoko's room. As she so moved all around it, she also did various things or left various things all over it, for sure, as she then saw fit to here and now. Cloak-san also quickly detected the still-current presence of the box that Keitaro had given Motoko some length of time earlier for safekeeping, and left it exactly as it then still was in Motoko's room. She then remained in the room for just a few more minutes doing whatever else she then wanted or needed to do in it, before eventually leaving it behind as well.

Her final stop in the main building for the Hinata Apartments, at least as of the current time, was Kaolla's room, quite naturally enough, here and now. She spent a few minutes, at most, perhaps, preparing at least a few, if not a lot of, surprises for Kaolla to ultimately discover once she woke up well enough in her room and was able to find them well enough. Nothing particularly life-threatening, or even conceivably so, most likely, for anyone at all on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, of course, quite obviously enough. But still ones that might somehow potentially cause a number of very unexpected events in the future, in any number of yet-unknown ways, for that matter. She also left at least a few things there that Kaolla might perhaps like quite well indeed, by the way. Such as two Care Bears, for instance. Most specifically, the two Care Bears she then left for Kaolla here and now were Friend and Funshine Bears, in fact. The last few things she then left in Kaolla's room here included several computer-related items or periodicals. Not to mention, as well, several scientific or engineering-related manuals and/or items as she then decided to leave there for at least the time being, if not permanently.

After she finally left Kaolla's room behind here and now, well enough, she quickly headed downstairs, out the main door or doors for the Apartments' main building, and down the main steps in front of it. She didn't disengage her cloaking device until she was completely back to just where she'd been at the bottom of the main steps when she'd actually engaged it earlier, for all the needed reasons here and now, for that matter. Her entire just-completed infiltration had taken just under three hours to complete well enough to suit her sufficiently here and now. She finished with her infiltration just about five or so minutes before her cloaking device would likely have automatically disengaged itself, in fact, due to running out of sufficient power to maintain her cloak well enough. No more than ten to fifteen minutes, maybe, if even that long, after she voluntarily disengaged it, then, she was already back in the same alley that she'd hidden herself in until it was safe enough for her to come out of it earlier. She spent no more than five more minutes, if even that long, still in the applicable alley collecting several of the things that she now had or had left there, before she somehow opened a portal of some sort, and walked into it, taking everything with her that she now needed to take with her into the portal. The portal quickly closed, and not a single trace of her or the portal was somehow still left in the applicable alley, once it did so quite quickly and quite well indeed.

* * *

The following morning, once everyone had woken up well enough, as they often did, things quickly began to get quite hectic indeed, due to all the things that Cloak-san had done while everyone in the Apartments now had been sleeping in their beds. Of course, Motoko was the first to wake up, and was quite upset once she was sufficiently able to recognize her current situation and appearance in her own room. Needless to say, there was quite a lot of yelling from Motoko, once she eventually did so sufficiently well indeed. She tried to get out of the turtle suit, but could not, for Cloak-san had somehow made it quite impossible for at least the time being. She couldn't even handle her own sword, for that matter, while she was still wearing the turtle suit in question.

The first person to wake up after Motoko began screaming was Naru, who soon found herself in a very difficult situation herself as well. For instance, many of her clothes were hanging from various web-like lines all over her room. And many, if not all, of those numerous lines were often seriously covered with assorted substances. Even as many of them ran at various heights all around either her bed or her, if not both, by the way. Cloak-san had even ensnared Naru in those very same lines at least a little bit, especially after sticking her bed in the air somewhere above her own floor, in fact. Not only that, but a few buckets that each had yet-unknown contents in them all hung over various areas of her body, even as she still lay in her own bed somewhere in her own room. Her whole room looked like a real mess, then, to put it very mildly indeed, and Cloak-san had left various suggestions about who might have possibly messed up Naru's room, whether provable or not, as well. Needless to say, Naru was very ticked, at the very least, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course.

Naru's yelling soon woke up Moriah and several other people, but not yet Keitaro or Kaolla, in fact. Moriah was the next person after Motoko and Naru to wake up, and when she peeked in their rooms, Motoko soon said, "Don't you dare laugh. This is NOT FUNNY, Garedenel-san."

"Didn't say I would, Aoyama-san, did I?"

"No, of course you did not, or at least you did not audibly say so with your physical mouth here and now. But I know you must still find this quite amusing, somehow, just the same."

"Why would I ever laugh at you when you're actually now like this, for example? Have you yet known me to laugh at any possible predicament that you may periodically have been in since we came here a few days ago, Aoyama-san?"

"No, I have not, Garedenel-san. But, still, I will have my revenge sufficiently well on whoever just did this, if at all possible, mark my words, just the same."

Moriah soon made her way into Motoko's own room very carefully indeed, with her full consent and knowledge, so as to perhaps better avoid various things that Cloak-san had earlier left all over it in various places as she'd then felt necessary to leave them all over it. She soon was somehow able to make it sufficiently well to Motoko's desk where there were letters from Cloak-san and Tsuruko under one Care Bear apiece. The letter from Cloak-san was under a Care Bear by the name of Grumpy Bear. And the one from Tsuruko was under one by the name of Bedtime Bear, for that matter. Moriah couldn't entirely comprehend either letter after Motoko asked her to read them out loud to her as best as she could, for all the obvious reasons here and now. So she soon brought both letters near Motoko so that she could read them better herself, as Moriah held each page of both letters in front of Motoko's face while Motoko still remained in her bed. Ultimately, Motoko eventually learned that she'd be unable to somehow get out of the turtle suit sufficiently well for at least a week, if not even longer than that. Or at least until she somehow actually learned to better behave herself sufficiently well indeed around any number of likely-unrelated males in her life, if not anything else as well, anyway. Which then upset her very much, for all the obvious reasons here and now.

"So what are you going to do now, Aoyama-san? You obviously can't play like that in our games, you know. And you can't do a lot of other things as well, of course."

"For once, I really do not know what I might need to do now very well, Garedenel-san. And now that I hear Naru screaming as well, I believe she also is in a major predicament of her own at this time. And I can do absolutely nothing to help her right now, quite obviously enough."

"I suppose I'd best see what has gotten her all in an uproar, then, in your place, Aoyama-san."

"Please do, and after you do, please see if you can find someone to somehow help me as much as possible here, if you can, Garedenel-san."

"Understood, Aoyama-san. This time as a turtle of sorts for you will pass, though, soon, I believe. At least I hope so, anyway."

"I really hope so. For I really dislike turtles, Garedenel-san, with a real passion."

Moriah quickly left Motoko's room for Naru's, and Naru asked her, almost immediately, "Did you do this, Garedenel-san?"

"No, of course not, Narusegawa-san. But whoever did surely did a real good job of things here, it seems to me," answered Moriah, as soon as she'd gotten the best possible look she then could of Naru's room from her current position just outside Naru's room here and now. And as she hadn't done when she'd seen Motoko's predicament minutes before, she didn't laugh either at Naru's current predicament, quite naturally enough.

"It might not be a good idea to try to come in here right now, then. I do agree with you, though, about the person who must have done this here and now, in fact, Garedenel-san. I really don't think you can get me out of my current predicament well enough, somehow. At least not at the current time, anyway."

"Maybe not just yet, but perhaps one of the others might be able to help you, somehow, just the same, Narusegawa-san."

"Why is Motoko quite upset now, then?"

"Motoko is quite now upset because she now will essentially have to spend a week or more as a turtle of sorts, most likely. And not only that, but Tsuruko agrees with that distinct possibility quite well indeed, it seems. For she has at least some fervent hopes that Motoko will eventually come to learn certain lessons that she might not have yet learned in her very own mortal life."

"Anything else you can possibly tell me at the current time, then?"

"No, nothing that I'm now sufficiently enough at liberty to share with you, at least, unfortunately, due to certain instructions given me in the letters from both a certain mysterious person and Tsuruko, in fact, Narusegawa-san. I can say no more to you at this time about things such as may now be the case for either you or Motoko. I am very sorry indeed about that, but you will not get any more information from me about such things. At least not at this time, if at all later, anyway, that is. In the meantime, though, I will see if I can find someone to help free you well enough and safely enough from your current situation."

"Please don't leave me hanging too long, if you can avoid it, somehow, Garedenel-san."

"Of course not. But I don't know how to free you well enough and safely enough at the current time, unfortunately, Narusegawa-san. So it seems that I very well will have to leave you hanging in your room all alone by yourself for at least a little while longer, of course."

By that time, the Bardstar triplets had woken up, and Moriah soon found them in the third-floor hallways. She soon sent them to see if they could figure out just how Naru could be freed from her current predicament well enough, or figure out how to help Motoko get from place to place, whether it was in her room or not, anywhere at all on the Hinata Apartments' grounds. After which, she soon went down to the second floor and began to check on the others who had rooms of their own on it, quite naturally enough, but not before seeing Kaolla still sleeping, somehow, in her own room.

Shenali soon granted Moriah entrance, and quickly joined Moriah, as she went to each of the other residents' rooms on the second floor. Their first stop on it was Mitsune's, and Mitsune soon woke up, once Moriah shook her awake quite insistently indeed. Mitsune then very quickly donned a sweater and slacks over a pair of ankle boots, before departing her room for Keitaro's with Moriah and Shenali, of course.

Keitaro soon woke up himself, and dressed behind a divider, in very short order, as the three young women now in his room each told him all that they then knew of the current situations for both Motoko and Naru here in the Hinata Apartments. Once he was sufficiently dressed, he and they soon departed his room to check on the other current residents at the Apartments, quite naturally enough. It wasn't much more than another minute or two before they reached Bruce's door, if even that, for that matter, in fact.

Bruce soon dressed, and joined the still-growing group here. By now, it was roughly 7:35 in the morning of Monday, January 21, 1991, more or less. Mitsune soon suggested that she be the one to wake up Shinobu, if she hadn't already woken up by then, for the obvious reasons, and everyone soon agreed with her suggestion here and now.

When they all reached Shinobu's room well enough, Mitsune briefly knocked on Shinobu's door, to see if she could get a response from her at the current time. After getting no answer from Shinobu on the inside of her room, then, Mitsune quickly opened Shinobu's door and slipped into her room, so that she could perhaps try to wake her up sufficiently well at the current time. Mitsune then went over to Shinobu's bed, and gently tried to shake her awake. Yet, Shinobu still remained quite soundly asleep here and now.

Mitsune then sat down for at least a little while in order to try and figure out what to do next here and now. She did that just as soon as she suddenly heard Shinobu unconsciously begin to say over and over several times, as she still slept in her own bed, "Senpai, please let me be your sweetheart. And please let me seal my forever love for you with my precious kisses on your own precious lips. Please let me do those things with you, so that I may then hopefully awaken once and for all from the nightmare that always plagues me seriously whenever one or more of the other girls who've lived here long enough with us periodically mistreats you like they quite often do. Please let me kiss you, and let me be yours for a lifetime, if at all possible. Please, Senpai, let me be your sweetheart for a lifetime, and let yourself be mine, too, for that matter."

Mitsune thought for a little while here after Shinobu had said all those things at least three or four times in her own presence, before realizing that there was most likely only one real option here at the current time for everyone then on the grounds of the Apartments, if anyone truly wanted Shinobu to wake up in time for the current school day for herself, at least, if not anyone else as well. She soon realized that it'd most likely have to be Keitaro who woke her up, and not just by trying to shake her awake well enough, for that matter. So she quickly exited Shinobu's room and pulled Keitaro off to one side away from the others who were then also outside it here and now.

Keitaro said, during a very brief conversation with Mitsune here, "This is just great, Mitsune, I suppose. You definitely know what Motoko and Naru's respective reactions are most likely to be here around the Apartments if and whenever they might ever ultimately hear of this kind of thing quite well enough, I'm quite sure, though."

"Motoko and Naru are currently unable to do anything as long as they are each in their present predicaments, Keitaro. Somehow, I have this feeling that only you will be able to sufficiently wake up Shinobu at the current time. You are going to have to kiss her to do that well enough, it seems."

"And what do you think Kaolla and the others will think if I do so? Not to mention you yourself, for instance?"

"Listen, Keitaro. She is evidently having a very distressing nightmare that only you might possibly be able to bring her out of at the current time. Quite obviously enough, she doesn't actually know the other four males here well enough to potentially even consider them as future prospective boyfriends or more someday. Or at least she doesn't right now, at least. And there's absolutely no way whatsoever that she'd ever really want Shirai or Haitani or Seta to kiss her awake at least once, if not more than that, either, you know. The only male in this world who could perhaps kiss her awake well enough at the current time and not actually upset her too much would be you, by logical enough extension, then, I'd say."

"But what of the others around here now, then?"

"If they try to give you any problems for this, if and when they ever hear about it well enough, then they'll have to go through me before they get to you. I promise. This time is on me, for a lot of the grief about rent and other things I've given you before around here. Not all of it, mind you, but still a lot of it, just the same." Mitsune then quickly shoved him into Shinobu's room, and blocked the door out of it so that he couldn't exit it until Shinobu was sufficiently awake in her room again.

Keitaro thought about that, and then said, "Fine. But I will hold you to your word of honor on that, Mitsune," through the door, moments later.

"Understood, Keitaro. Now go wake up our young chef, before Kaolla comes here and barges in because she's very hungry as she often gets," said Mitsune, while also thinking to herself, "Why couldn't it be me that likely needs a kiss from him to wake up from a major nightmare, instead of our dear little Shinobu here and now?"

Keitaro then looked all over Shinobu's room in very short order, before eventually making his way over to her bed. As he made his way over to her bed, he periodically picked up a few Care Bears that Cloak-san had deliberately left in various places between Shinobu's door and bed, in fact. As he briefly studied each of them, he also wondered just who might have left them in her room, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course. Just as Mitsune had done herself moments before leaving Shinobu's bedroom to then send Keitaro into it, by the way. Moments after that, he eventually reached her bed, and studied her face for a few seconds, at least, if not longer than that. After doing so then and there for a long enough time to suit him sufficiently well here and now, he soon pulled down her covers until they were at her waist, or somewhere thereabouts. Then he gently pulled her shoulders and upper body off the top of the bed, and raised them up until he had her still sleeping on her bed while she was yet in a completely-sitting position, for that matter. Once she was in such a position well enough to sufficiently satisfy him enough at the current time, he then wrapped his arms around her, and placed his hands on the sides of her head, just as gently and as protectively as he possibly now could. He very briefly indeed then studied her face, and also wished briefly very much that he didn't have to actually do this here and now. Or at least he did so here and now until Shinobu then quite unconsciously indeed suddenly shouted in a very loud, but somehow still not eardrum-popping, voice that could perhaps be heard from at least fifteen statute miles away, if not more, "Senpai, please NEVER leave me totally out of your precious heart. Even if you actually can't EVER love me at least as much as I truly love you now and will always truly love you in my life. Please, PERMANENTLY banish just as many, if not all, of the numerous nightmares that are now seriously plaguing my dreams and lives, Senpai, with your precious kisses, as you can possibly banish for me here and now! Please, rescue me from them as best as you ever possibly can, with your precious kisses! PLEASE, SENPAI! KISS ME NOW!"

If Kaolla hadn't somehow been awake enough in her own room, just before Shinobu shouted all those things quite loudly indeed, she soon woke up very quickly indeed, for all the obvious reasons here and now, of course. And she soon set off for Shinobu's room just as quickly as she could, quite naturally enough, for that matter. Mitsune kept her from entering it, though, as soon as Kaolla tried to get past her into it, in fact.

As for both Naru and Motoko, they each then thought, in essence, more or less, somehow without the other's actual knowledge, "Do what you must, Urashima. But if you somehow hurt her enough while actually doing so, I then will very gladly indeed hunt you down someday, just as best as I possibly can do that well enough. And I then will somehow punish you very severely, if and whenever possible, just the same, for sure! No matter just how long it actually then takes, I still will, without any possible doubt or doubts whatsoever, if and whenever I possibly can, that is!"

Keitaro could no longer bear to hear her as she quite obviously was pouring her heart out to him without her even yet knowing it on her own part. So he soon brought his lips down to hers, as he also moved to sit next to her on her bed, and kissed them just as gently, yet as fear-banishing, as he possibly could do just that here and now. As he then kissed her, she very slowly indeed then began to awaken from her still-current nightmares, but not yet well enough to allow her to fully wake in her very own bed. So he still continued to kiss her several more times directly on her very own lips, while also quite seriously hoping that his usual punishment-dealing tenants would not hold his kissing of Shinobu multiple times against him too much, of course. As he still continued to periodically kiss her lips, she still very slowly continued to awaken in her bed completely under his lips' very frantic ministrations to her own. Several minutes more, at least, soon passed, before she finally began to somehow realize well enough what was going on here and now for both her and Keitaro, in fact.

When she was then sufficiently conscious, and still being kissed by him, she tightened her current grip on him here, very much indeed. And she quickly began returning his own kisses with several very passionate kisses of her very own on his own lips. Eventually. though, she ultimately realized her current circumstances near him well enough, after fully regaining consciousness again here and now, and released him from her current strong grip on him in her own arms. Once she did so well enough, she soon said, "Senpai, you just chased my nightmares away, just as I hoped you then would do so well enough, it seems, for at least the time being, I hope. If not permanently, that is. Now it seems I must change for school, of course."

"Of course. Two people will not be eating breakfast with us once you have it ready well enough, though," said Keitaro, as he went to stand near her desk, so she could perhaps get out of her bed if and when she then wanted to here.

"Oh, please explain." She soon lifted her covers and placed them partly to one side of her, as he briefly turned away from her, for the obvious reasons. After which, she soon exited her own bed here and now, of course.

"Naru is all trussed up in her room right now for some yet-unknown reason or reasons. While Motoko is now stuck in a turtle suit of some sort for at least a week, if not even longer, it seems, also for some still-unknown reason or reasons, Shinobu."

"Seriously?" Shinobu gave her beloved Senpai a very surprised and very curious look when she then heard those things from him just now.

"Yes, Shinobu, seriously."

"Then let me see them, if you please, once I get dressed. Give me a few minutes to change, and I'll be right with you, okay? Oh, and by the way, did you leave all these beautiful Care Bears fro me last night in my room, somehow, Senpai? If you did, then I would really like to thank you, for all the obvious reasons, of course."

"No, I can't say that I did, in truth, Shinobu. But whoever did must really seem to like you very much indeed. And, by the way, just how do you know about such things as Care Bears, if I might ask you this, then?" Keitaro then ran his left hand somewhat through his hair here, brushing it out of his eyes in front of his glasses at least a little bit, if not a lot, while also flashing a somewhat puzzled look on his face, for that matter.

"From several of my pen pals in the United States, in fact, Senpai. Up until now, I've never even been able to have any of them for my very own, because my parents thought they weren't suitable enough toys for me to have in my life."

"Now that you live here, they can't oppose the idea of you having any, right?" asked Keitaro, with a semi-questioning look then on his face as he just asked her that.

"Of course they can't, Senpai." Shinobu smiled very cheerfully indeed right at him as she then said that while they were both in her room together, in fact.

"Do you actually have a favorite one or two of them, then?"

"I've always been somewhat partial, at least, to Love-A-Lot, Tenderheart, Bedtime, and Cheer Bears, if my memory serves me well enough here and now. The others perhaps not so much, but the bears that I just mentioned, perhaps quite a bit indeed. Especially Love-A-Lot Bear, Senpai."

Keitaro soon rubbed his chin, and then said, "I see, Shinobu. Whoever left you these, then, must like you a lot, or know at least a bit more about you than most others might, I think. Maybe even more than even you might actually realize, somehow. Although I really don't know just how and just why they left you so many of them like they did, just the same."

"Nor do I, but I think I'd still tend to agree with much of what you just said here, if not all of it, Senpai. May I now have my privacy, please?"

"Of course, Shinobu. Would you like me to leave your room or not, though, while you have it here and now?"

"Yes, I think I actually would like you to leave my room now. But please stay fairly close to it here, just in case I might still need you near me, for a while, at least, okay?"

"As you wish." Keitaro soon exited her room, for all the obvious reasons here and now. After which Shinobu gathered up several items of apparel in it as she then needed or wanted to here, quite naturally enough. She was fully prepared for the day ahead no more than five minutes later, in fact, and out of her room not too long after that. With that done, she quickly went to her kitchen/dining area in the Apartments' main building and had some breakfasts prepared for everyone in the place not more than ten or so minutes later, at most. Along with several lunches, where possible. Breakfast was, in many cases, then very quickly consumed as necessary and as appropriate, of course. And several other people soon left the grounds behind not too much longer after it was, in order to attend to certain matters that they then had to attend to in each of their lives.

Before Shinobu and Kaolla left the grounds to go to school, then, they briefly looked in on both Motoko and Naru, of course. And left some food and drink items where they both could periodically reach them well enough until enough people got back from their required matters on the current day, quite naturally enough. When Motoko and Naru both asked Kaolla to help them somehow get out of their respective current predicaments, Kaolla said that she couldn't yet do so well enough and safely enough. Or at least she couldn't actually somehow do so at the current time, most likely. So Naru and Motoko ultimately both accepted that particular fact from Kaolla, much to their mutual great dismays, for sure. But still not without at least a little bit, if not a lot, of somewhat major complaining here and now. Most specifically, directly from both of them all about it, for instance, before virtually everyone else left the Hinata Apartments' grounds again for at least a few hours, if not even longer than that.

* * *

Everyone who left the grounds of the Apartments for a while to do certain then-required things for each of them in their lives eventually returned to them by no later than 5:15 pm local time in the Hinata City local area. They each returned for a little while to their respective rooms before eventually heading either to Naru's room or to Motoko's, as the need or desire then arose for them all. Kaolla and Cyrus eventually entered Naru's room with Keitaro. And the three of them soon worked to try to make it easier for Naru to move around in her own room. Even though she'd still be at least somewhat surrounded, if not somewhat trapped, by many of the strings that were still very heavily covered with largely-unknown substances that Cloak-san had somehow spread out all over Naru's own room, they still did so, just the same. Eventually, they managed to free her enough to somehow safely allow her feet to touch her own floor well enough every so often, at least. Her hands were still considerably restrained, but her feet were more able to move as they'd earlier been, in fact.

Once that was done well enough, Naru asked the males to leave her room temporarily, so that Kaolla could help her with certain personal business, quite naturally enough. Shinobu and Mitsune soon helped out Naru here where and when needed and possible as well, for all the quite-obvious reasons here and now. While all the male humans now on the grounds then quickly began getting ready for that very same night's upcoming basketball game scheduled between both the Hinata Archeologists and the Yokohama Diamondeers, in fact, for that matter.

When they were just about ready to leave, they all briefly checked on Motoko's current status, in the interests of fair treatment of her here and now from them all. But not without at least Kaolla and Shinobu and Mitsune there first, of course. Kaolla said, "Motoko, I like turtles very much, as you very well know by now. But I MOST DEFINITELY didn't put you in that turtle suit you're now wearing here, as sure as I am now Kaolla Su in my own mortal life. I WILL find a way to somehow eventually free you totally from it, safely enough, if at all possible. And then we'll both plot our revenge against the person or persons responsible for you being in it, of course! Nobody plants evidence suggesting I'm guilty of something like this, if I'm totally innocent of such a charge or of such charges at a particular time, and gets away with it well enough, if I can ever keep them from doing just that somehow."

Motoko said, "I quite fully believe you here and now, Kaolla-chan. For one thing, it is much too neat of a job on me, compared to how things often are whenever you try to play tricks on someone, it seems to me. Your plans often end up leaving a lot of traces of very wacky activity whenever they backfire sufficiently well, if my memory serves me well enough here and now. You were definitely not guilty of this, in fact. Someone else or some other people did this, for sure. But I have not yet been able to figure out just who might actually have done this as they quite obviously have now done."

Mere minutes later, at most, then, all the males who were then on the grounds ultimately left them for the nearest mode of transportation that could most likely best get them all somehow to Yokohama by 7 pm local time there. Several of the young ladies also on the grounds soon went with them in order to do the very same thing, as well, quite naturally enough. But not all of them, for sure, because two of them ultimately chose to stay there with both Naru and Motoko at the current time, by the way. Those two young ladies who ultimately stayed behind on them in order to periodically check on Naru and Motoko were Kaolla and Mitsune. Kaolla stayed behind just because she really wanted to try to figure out how to free Naru and Motoko more, if not entirely, from their own respective current predicaments. And Mitsune did so as well, because she wanted to actually be able to somehow assist either of them, if not both of them, if and whenever necessary and appropriate. It was her current desire to do just that for either of them or both of them, if she possibly could, for several reasons of her very own. At least some, if not all, of those several reasons for herself, however, she still chose not to reveal to any of the other current residents of the Hinata Apartments at this time, if she could somehow actually avoid doing so too easily, in fact.

As for all three of the still-young triplet Urashima girls, they then accompanied all the males and most of the young women away from the Hinata Apartments for their own mutual good here and now, for that matter. Kanako rode on Keitaro's back, Kagome on Haruka's, and Komazuaki on Shinobu's, just as safely and as securely as possible, by the way. Several of the males then quite quickly arranged themselves around the women now accompanying them, with Seta completely leading the way to the nearest bus stop in the Hinata City local area as necessary and as appropriate, considering that he was a very good martial artist in his own life at the current time.

Eventually, the entire traveling party found itself on a bus to Yokohama, as planned. Not very much longer after that, then, they all found themselves near the necessary Youth Center in Yokohama's local area. Everyone soon arrived at it as needed and as appropriate. After which, the Hinatan males quickly went to their assigned locker room in it to get ready for the game due to start not more than perhaps an hour or so later, if even that. While the young ladies all found places on the end of the court that was now designated for those who'd be supporting the Hinatans during the game, quite obviously enough, here and now.

Some time later, the two teams came out and warmed up before the game, which began not too long after the Hinatans had already finished warming up well enough here. The game soon began with a bang, so to speak, when both teams started it shooting rather well. The first quarter ended with the Diamondeers slightly ahead with a score of 31-30. Eventually, though, of course, several players on both teams began to get into potential foul trouble, during the following second quarter that followed not too much after the first, of course. For the Archeologists, those players were Watsuki, Terajima, and Akamatsu. For the Diamondeers, they had four of their own players with either two or three personal fouls by the end of the first half, in fact. The second quarter and first half ultimately ended with the Archeologists ahead by a score of 57-51, for that matter.

When halftime arrived, Haruka soon asked Shinobu to call the Apartments and find out how Kaolla, Mitsune, Naru, and Motoko were then doing there at the present time. So Shinobu soon handed Komazuaki to Moriah, while Shenali still held Kanako and Haruka held Kagome, and left for the nearest available phone in the currently-applicable Youth Center, of course.

When Shinobu called, Mitsune said, "Things are still not as they should be back here, Shinobu-chan. Kaolla still is in her room trying to figure out how best to entirely free both Motoko and Naru from their current predicaments. Naru is still somewhat as she was, but Kaolla has somehow managed to better her situation at least a little bit while the rest of you have been away."

"And what of Motoko?"

"She's still quite upset, quite naturally enough, at her current predicament, of course. She really hates being a turtle, in essence, at the current time, as you might expect. I daresay that if she ever finds out just who put her in that turtle suit well enough, that person, or those people, would then perhaps best be wise to make sure all of their currently-pending affairs are taken care of quite well enough, somehow. And do so well enough, as well, before she then attempts to deal with them all later, if she ever can actually do so well enough. Motoko is really ticked right now, to put it very mildly indeed, perhaps. While she's not actually using any profanity at the current moment, she's still quite loudly pronouncing a lasting vendetta on them and all those with them until she feels sufficient justice has been achieved in relation to them and the aggrieved parties, just the same. Although I can't help but wonder why Kaolla and I were ourselves both not actually left as both Naru and Motoko were, at the same time here and now. For we both have done certain things to Keitaro before that perhaps would be sufficiently worthy of punishment, you know."

"Kaolla's still a child in many respects. Though she still has shown great maturity at times, both mentally and physically, at least, she's still a child at the present time, at least for the most part. It's my belief, after considerable contemplation of the current circumstances, that she'd never have done this, at least not as she now is, if she would ever actually do something like this to anyone someday. And especially not to either Naru and Motoko. You probably know just how much she looks up to them right now in her life, Mitsune. Especially Motoko, of course. While she loves turtles, she also loves Motoko like a sister and dear friend, and would never likely even think of doing what's now been done to Motoko here, I believe. At least not unless she had a good enough reason to then do just that well enough to anyone, that is. And right now, no such reason appears evident to me enough, at least."

"Then how do you explain me being unrestrained physically at the current time, Shinobu?"

"Perhaps it wasn't the current desire of the person or persons who actually just put both Motoko and Naru in their respective present predicaments to restrain you physically, Mitsune. This does raise certain questions, though, as you might expect. Why did they not restrain you like they did the others, seeing as you've often mistreated Senpai in various ways without sufficient enough cause around here? I really don't know why, but this makes me wonder why they didn't actually do so, just the same."

Mitsune thought about that for a while, as she stood at the table where the main phone was in the Apartments' main building. As she did so, she also sipped from a bit of grape juice in a glass she then held in her hands. Eventually, after several moments of silent contemplation, Mitsune said, "That has me stumped as well, as of the current moment, at least. I mean, I've done things periodically to Keitaro too, but nothing quite like Naru and Motoko often have done to him before. Nor have I done things to him much like our little Molmolian friend Kaolla has. They whale on him a lot more than I do, you know, Shinobu."

"That's still no excuse, Mitsune. You are, if I'm not mistaken, the oldest of all of us ladies who are the current primary tenants at the Apartments. As that may be the case, you should know better how to act, I think, than the rest of us may do. We girls all look up to you, if I'm not too mistaken here and now about that being the case for us all, in regards to you, at least, Mitsune. Keep that in mind, if you can. Now I perhaps can't tell you just how to actually live your own respective mortal life, I believe. Or at least not at this time, anyway, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. But I still really do wish that you'd stop drinking and trying to take gross financial advantage of him like you almost always do, just the same." Shinobu periodically glanced at a nearby clock, even as she talked to Mitsune, and as she munched on a few iced pretzels from a bag then in her hands.

"What's wrong with people just trying to have at least a little bit, if not a lot, of fun and to play various pranks and to fool around with any or all of your friends from time to time, Shinobu? What's wrong with at least a little bit, if not a lot, of fun and excitement from time to time for various people, come to think of it?"

"Nothing, as long as it's actually just good and clean fun that doesn't really hurt anyone too much, if at all. The kind of fun that you quite often try to have with Senpai and any or all of the rest of us primary tenants quite often gets him into potentially quite compromising situations with any or all of us, and often gets him pounded by Naru, Motoko, and/or Kaolla, when he really doesn't deserve to be punished by any or all of them. Every time that he gets pounded unjustly because of your actions, for instance, it really hurts me a whole lot, and breaks my heart at least a little bit more than it may often be quite broken at times, Mitsune. The worse the pounding he periodically gets from those who most often attack his physical person, without sufficient enough cause, the more it breaks my heart. Fun CEASES to be fun the moment someone gets majorly hurt because of it, I'm quite certain, in fact. And it ALWAYS hurts at least a little bit worse, if not a lot worse, when it's actually a friend who plays tricks on someone who then often gets pounded on quite soon afterward. And who then gets pounded on like that quite soon afterward just because of what quite often happens, after those tricks are played on them, to the person being tricked or to any number of others who actually might be sufficiently around that person at a particular time."

"Seriously, Shinobu?" asked Mitsune, as Shinobu sipped some water from a cup she was also holding at the present time. And even while Shinobu then had the applicable phone's headset between her head and left shoulder as she then saw fit to here and now.

"Seriously, Mitsune. If it had been me, knowing you as I do now, I myself might have put you in much the same situation that Motoko and Naru were each found in, if I felt that I had been provoked enough by you or anyone else who's often mistreated Senpai like they periodically have in his own mortal life, in fact."

"I see. But yet, I'm still free, it seems, to move around, at least for the most part, Shinobu."

"Yes, you are. Know this, however, Mitsune. I seriously don't like how you much too often treat Senpai, whenever he's near enough to you, for whatever possible reason or reasons that he then might periodically have to be just that way with you. I also am typically not one to want to fight with someone, as you should very well know by now. Especially after seeing my own dear parents quite often fight as well. But I also really don't like seeing any number of people that I quite seriously care for in my life getting mistreated needlessly by anyone. Not even by those who are actually supposed to love and treat each other in a reasonably civilized manner. No matter who they are. I really hate it a whole lot indeed whenever Senpai actually gets pounded without sufficient enough cause or such ability to then try and defend whatever he might do periodically, for sure. Granted, Senpai's not at all totally perfect about everything in his life, you know. But, still, he should quite often be treated much more fairly than he usually is around any or all of us, either on the Apartments' grounds or off it." Shinobu soon tossed her empty pretzel bag into the nearest trash can to where she now was, in fact.

"Anything else you want to say now, then, Shinobu?"

"Not at this time, really, other than to perhaps say, 'Check on the others periodically, and try to behave better in our absence, just in case our mysterious visitor actually returns while we're all still out,' Mitsune, if I'm not too mistaken here. That and to also perhaps think about all of the things that we've just discussed here with each other, at least. I have to get back to the others, soon, because the second half of the game is about to start, it seems, anyway."

"Before you go, one last question, if I may, Shinobu."

"Go ahead, Mitsune."

"Who's winning between us and Yokohama, then, Shinobu."

"We're ahead at halftime by six points, 57 to 51, fortunately. Now I REALLY must get back to the others, for the game will be resuming very soon indeed, in fact." Shinobu then hung up the phone that she'd just been using, picked up several other items then near her, and hurried right back to where everyone else in their current traveling party now was elsewhere in the applicable Youth Center, before Mitsune could say another word well enough to her at the current time.

The third quarter of the game began only about a minute after Shinobu had been able to return sufficiently well to her seat in the necessary bleachers, at most, if even that. The Diamondeers got the opening tip for the second half, and missed several shots in a row as the Archeologists quickly took advantage of their misses to increase their current lead to73-51 before the Yokohama-based team finally scored again with two points on a shot just inside the three-point line in one corner. Hinata continued to pour it on for most of the third quarter, before Yokohama finally managed to slow down Hinata's scoring enough to allow them to start trying to reduce their current deficit in the game. By the time that the Hinatans were sufficiently stifled for at least a little while in the game, just before the end of the third quarter, the game's score was then 81-62, in fact. Shortly thereafter, the third quarter of the game ended at 89-69, for that matter.

The fourth quarter for the game soon saw the Yokohama Diamondeers close their current deficit in it to 97-83. But, ultimately, the Hinatans still held on to their current lead in it, and even increased it at least a little, if not a lot, by the end of the entire game. In fact, they weren't even caught up with for the rest of it, even though the Diamondeers did somehow still close their deficit temporarily in it to just four points, before the Hinatans got hot again in it. When the game finally ended, then, the final score for it was 123-109, in the favor of the Hinatans.

Soon thereafter, both teams did the usual post-game things, before each adjourning to their own respective assigned locker rooms for all the obvious reasons here and now. As both teams then went as needed to each of them, Shinobu and the rest of her current companions soon began gathering up all of their various things here and now, of course, as then needed and as then appropriate here. And they also often all conversed at least a little bit, if not a lot, with themselves and at least a few other people, for that matter, as they each waited for their male associates from Hinata City to return to where they all now still were.

Eventually, their male associates returned to where their female ones were now, and rejoined them, not long before they all left the Yokohama Youth Center with each other. The Hinatans all soon arrived at the required bus stop and boarded the bus that'd take them all back to the Hinata City local area, quite naturally enough. As they all rode back to Hinata City, those who then could actually speak at the current time often did so with each other about any number of things, if and whenever they felt the need or desire to do so well enough, of course.

The Hinatans finally arrived back at the necessary bus stop sometime around 11:15 at night, more or less, for Monday, January 21, 1991. Not long after that then happened well enough, Keitaro's teammates soon began to part with their female associates as necessary and as appropriate, for all the obvious reasons. However, not all of his teammates parted from them, but instead began heading back to the Hinata Apartments with Keitaro and several of his tenants, just the same. The Bardstars and Bruce stayed with their female associates, as did Seta, but Haitani and Shirai and the others ultimately did so, at Keitaro's eventual request to that effect.

The remaining Hinatans arrived safe and sound back at the Hinata Apartments not too much later, quite naturally enough. Eventually they all encountered Mitsune in the living room essentially nursing a tall glass of grape juice while watching TV in a sitting position on the main couch there for at least a little while. Keitaro soon asked, "How are Naru and Motoko now, if I might ask, Mitsune?"

"Both of them are still in their current difficult predicaments, quite unfortunately, I must say here and now. But Naru's own current situation has actually improved at least a little bit in your absence, it now somehow seems to me, to Naru, and to Kaolla, Keitaro. If not a great deal. Kaolla is still trying to figure out just how to free them both from those respective predicaments of theirs, of course. But she's not yet been able to do so well enough and safely enough, in truth."

"Do you have any other news that might be important for any or all of us, then, Mitsune, to know, perhaps?" asked Haruka.

"Kaolla doesn't think that she'll actually be able to free at least one of the two by sometime tomorrow, if not both of them. So she's now working very seriously indeed on two largely, but not entirely, different very waterproof synthoids to perhaps actually pose as them whenever Naru and Motoko each would normally be expected to be away from here during a typical day or night. Our mysterious visitor left some very detailed instructions for Kaolla to follow in the manufacturing and operation of those synthoids that'd have to pose as their look-alikes while Naru and Motoko were otherwise unavailable to interact with others outside of these very grounds, it seems, Haruka-san. Also, our mysterious visitor left several instructions for a number of other synthoids' manufacturing and operation, just in case the need ever arose for them to be available for actual use as well."

"Synthoids? What are those, Mitsune?" asked Shinobu.

"Robots that will look like actual people, I believe, Shinobu. Kaolla was largely close-mouthed about such things when I asked her what they were, how they might work, and how they would be operated, unfortunately. She also somehow learned that all the players in the league that we have now all begun playing in are entitled to use one synthoid apiece at a time to substitute for them when they might potentially be unavailable to play in any number of games. That's if they'd want to use them, or need to use them, at any time at all during the season, in fact. But if they do, they must each be officially registered as permitted synthoids before they're allowed to be used in a game, for all the obvious reasons. Also, if a synthoid must substitute for an organic, the applicable opponent must be notified by the time the game in which the synthoid participates in begins, if at all possible. According to her, then, perhaps roughly 30 percent of the players in the league's males-only version have registered at least one synthoid for potential future use. And roughly 20 percent of the players in the league's females-only version have done the same as well, if I'm not too mistaken about some of what Kaolla actually told me here earlier."

"Organic, Mitsune?" asked Willis.

"A totally non-robotic being with a biological nature, like all of us, for example, according to Kaolla, Willis-san," answered Mitsune.

"I see," said Rufus, a few moments later. "And when should we be able to have these synthoids made for each of us, then?"

"I'm not quite sure about the rest of us. But Naru and Motoko's should be sufficiently completed by tomorrow, sometime, I expect, Rufus-san," answered Mitsune, as everyone soon began moving upstairs to see what the current statuses of both Naru and Motoko were now.

When Naru saw Keitaro, she said, "Keitaro, please help me get out of my current predicament, if you can."

Keitaro said, after a little while, "I wish I could, but I don't know how. At least not safely enough and well enough, as of the current time, Naru-san."

"So you're going to just leave me hanging, so to speak, Keitaro?"

"Unfortunately, I have to, at least for now, Naru-san. In the meantime, I hope that you've done a lot of thinking about how you've often treated me since I first got here to be the manager of this place at my grandmother's instigation."

"Yes, I have. But I STILL don't think it's right for you to be the manager of a girls' dormitory, just the same, Keitaro."

"It's currently a coed dormitory, largely because of all the damage done to it since I got here by a number of the primary tenants here. Not to mention the periodical misappropriation of certain funds that were meant more for the periodical required upkeep and provisioning of it while it was still a girls' dormitory, Naru-san. Whether or not it ever goes back to being just a girls' dormitory, like it once was, or exists as something else, most definitely will depend on those who live here, for a fact, as long as these grounds are sufficiently habitable, somehow."

"Oh, so you're blaming us for your inability to fully keep up this place as needed, then, Keitaro?" asked Naru.

Keitaro began shooting several very serious looks at Naru here, before eventually saying out loud to her, "Where necessary and appropriate here and now, at least, I therefore say to you, 'If the shoe fits, Naru-san, then go ahead and wear it, so to speak!' I never chose to be saddled with this place, originally. But Grandma Hina left it to me, just the same, so that she could go off on her periodical travels, as she then saw fit or sees fit. And now that I'm here, as this place's Manager of Record, I now am quite honor-bound indeed to do whatever I possibly can, within fair enough and logical enough reason, in order to see to all of the attendable needs and/or wants of the tenants, I believe. So you'll have to just pardon me, perhaps, if I don't currently happen to agree with you about certain thoughts you might have had, now have, or might later have, about me, my family, or this place, at least. Give me enough reason to do so well enough, and you might just find yourself having to live elsewhere besides here, wherever that might be, eventually. Now I will do all I can, within reason, to help you, but even I might have a limit with what I will sufficiently tolerate from any or all of my tenants, whether past, present, and/or future. You then would be quite well-advised to keep that in mind here, as best as you can, for as long as you can, for sure. Kaolla-chan is now working on, or may soon work on, robots actually called synthoids, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons, that'll somehow look and act much, if not entirely, like you and any number of us, at least, it seems, if I'm not too mistaken here. Now I don't know all the details related to that robot or those robots I've just referred to here as robots called synthoids, mind you, for all the obvious reasons here and now, for sure. But I do happen to know quite well indeed that just as long as you're somehow sufficiently enough hanging here, so to speak, as you now are, you're not actually leaving this particular room well enough. And you know it quite well indeed too, here and now. I can even guarantee to everyone else that you actually know that's quite true. For I see it in your eyes quite well indeed. As you'll definitely not be leaving this particular room for at least a little while yet, if not even longer than that, no doubt, you'll be temporarily substituted for in public wherever and whenever possible and necessary. At least until you finally are sufficiently free of your current quite major predicament here and now, you most certainly will be, anyway."

"That's not fair, or right, Keitaro," said Naru.

"Tough. Apparently, you really ticked someone else off very majorly indeed, somehow, Naru-san. I'll still do whatever I possibly can do here, within reason, to try and help you out here and now, of course, due to my own current duties here, at least. But until you can be freed well enough and safely enough from your current situation, there's nothing other than that I can actually do at this time for you, it seems. Now, we are going to check on Motoko-san, and see how she's getting along here as well. The rest of you young ladies are more than welcome to stay here with Naru while I and others check on Motoko-san, if you actually want to, or you can choose to accompany me to Motoko's room as well, quite obviously enough. Or you can go about your business now, as each of you now sees fit to do so well enough, for that matter. It doesn't matter too much what you do, in truth, people. So do whatever each of you now wants to do, within reason, here and now."

Eventually, everyone except Moriah and Mitsune left Naru's room, and went wherever else they then wanted or needed to go anywhere on the grounds for the Apartments. Some of them even did so for the rest of the night, in fact. Moriah and Mitsune then spent a little time trying to help Naru out at least a little while she was still in her current predicament, at least. If not a good deal of time,for that matter, in Naru's own room for the Apartments, after everyone else ultimately left Naru's room behind again as necessary and as appropriate here and now.

Moriah and Mitsune finally both left Naru's room around local midnight, just before Monday would actually become Tuesday, and went to their own respective rooms in the Apartments for the rest of the current overnight period. Not too much later, then, each retired to their respective beds in them, and were each quite soundly asleep in them by no later than local midnight, in fact. And so they'd each gladly remain until at lest 6 or so in the morning of Tuesday, January 22, 1991, for that matter. If not even longer than just until 6 or so that very same morning.

* * *

I most certainly will do whatever I possibly can do well enough in order to somehow actually get Chapter Five for this particular story sufficiently written and posted on fanfiction dot net by this particular time next month, everyone. But we'll all just have to see what the rest of May has in store for us all in our lives, of course, for all the obvious reasons here and now. I may even decide to actually utilize a moderately short time-skip here, in fact. But the next chapter is only now just barely beginning to surface in my plans for it here. Meaning, in essence, I have at least a few, if not a lot of, somewhat different possibilities now in mind for any number of still-future events in it. But I don't yet know just how I might best continue it for each and every single one of us here and now. It therefore will perhaps be at least a few days, if not at least a week, before I then have a much better idea of just how this next chapter is actually going to go easily enough for it.

Please stay tuned for further updates for this particular story or any other stories of mine now present on fanfiction dot net. And please also do seriously consider each leaving me some quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews for this latest chapter and/or any other chapters for it as well, people. As for other chapters for it, I probably do have some typos from time to time in them, quite unintentionally and quite unexpectedly indeed. If you could inform me of any such typos that you might find, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could let me know of them. Whether privately or in a suitable enough review for any chapter of this story, I'd really like it if you could let me know of them if and whenever possible and necessary. Thank you all for your time and attention, then. I hope many, if not all, of you really enjoyed this latest chapter of _Not Always As Things Seem_, of course. TUS out!


	6. Chapter 005:   Seeds of Future Conflict?

This following chapter should provide at least some background, if not a lot of background, I fully-expect, for many future events in this story. It isn't quite as action-packed, perhaps, as other chapters of this story have so far been, but there is still at least some action in it, just the same. Also at least two or three more characters begin to appear in this story here who haven't yet appeared in it at all. Hopefully, you all will come to enjoy this next chapter at least a little bit. There is also at least some more personal interaction between Motoko and several other characters already in the story, for that matter. Including with Cyrus and Willis Bardstar, for instance. Things are not totally peaceful, though, in the Hinata City local area, as you will see later in the chapter. And things will not be totally peaceful again in Japan for some time, most likely, once certain things are known of well enough by any number of characters in the story. Whether they're in the story yet or not, for sure.

Well, with no further ado, then, if we may, I suppose I should therefore close this particular chapter's introduction, and to let you all finally read it, people. I really hope that you all somehow enjoy this particular chapter at least well enough to leave me some quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews for it, at least. If not also for any or all other chapters that have already been posted for it well enough, as well, of course. It is a little delayed, unfortunately, from when I wanted to put it out, in fact, everyone. But hopefully the extra time taken to finish it well enough will still make the entire chapter much more worthy of reading it for you all, quite obviously enough. I will get the next chapter for this particular story out just as soon as I possibly can, if at all possible. I most definitely promise you all this, right here and right now. Therefore, I am going to shoot for sometime around the 4th of July for the posting of the next chapter, but we'll all have to see just how quickly and as well as I can actually write it, and post it, of course. TUS out!

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

Circa 550 years or so earlier, somewhere on an uncharted island:

* * *

On an uncharted island inhabited by several hundred people, several young women either gave birth to new babies or married several young men in their own respective mortal lives. That very same week, in fact, a number of things began to happen that'd then change the future for their eventual descendants greatly, in due time, if they hadn't already done so. Both before the aforementioned weddings and births, and after them. Those young women had all been born on the aforementioned uncharted island somewhere just off the Japanese mainland island of Honshu. While their husbands, whether they were old or were new, all had each come from the four mainland islands of Japan, Shikoku, Kyushu, Honshu, and Hokkaido, in fact.

The events that would sweep up all their families, and many others, up both in great joys and in great sorrows had begun with an unexpected series of confrontations among six brothers of imperial blood about a year before, more or less, during a major festival of some sort, starting on Honshu. Two brothers started greatly contesting certain opinions between each other. Which eventually led to them having strained relationships with each other. And then with their other brothers, in time, for both of them. The Emperor had eventually ordered the followers of all six brothers to gather on that uncharted island in one final attempt to keep the peace in effect all over the area of Japan that he now controlled well enough. But such orders from him would still not lead to actual peace between the brothers' followers.

Instead, concentrating all the followers of those six sons for himself would lead, in time, to great bloodshed for many years yet to come. One thing led to another, inevitably, and words were first exchanged, before things got more serious between the various factions now present on the uncharted island of about 2500 square miles. Eventually, lines were drawn for the camps of all six brothers. But even those lines were soon crossed, after several people present in each camp wound up dead or severely harmed, somehow.

Armed battles soon occurred between two or more such camps. Which ultimately then drew all the others into the growing conflagration that the Emperor had hoped to actually somehow avoid in the first place by his own earlier sending of all six applicable factions to that very same uncharted island somewhere near Japan's mainland islands. And many people from those six factions were seriously injured or worse in those battles that soon resulted well enough. And even while numerous others from every such contesting faction quite earnestly indeed still tried to somehow actually achieve the longed-for peace that the Emperor had just been hoping for with six of his very own sons.

Ultimately, many people found themselves quite mixed up with each other, either by sheer choice or by sheer chance. And many of them each soon ended up considerably far away from many other members of the various factions that they'd all actually each come from some substantial enough length of time earlier. Two of the six brothers' still-present factions on the isolated island they were all now on here were ultimately decimated to near-extinction, perhaps. And just before they eventually both began seeking several good enough ways to make it sufficiently possible for them to escape well off the island they all were then on, somehow, for that matter. Most specifically, those two factions that were nearly wiped out were the respective still-existing factions of the two original contesting brothers, in fact. Several members of any or all of the other four contesting factions eventually found themselves behind the lines of their factions on the island. And even while some members of two factions then quite quickly indeed found themselves behind the lines of certain other factions on it, as well

The surviving heads of the now-contesting factions still tried at least one last time to fulfill their Emperor's orders, for the obvious reasons. But they all soon realized that there'd not likely be peace between them for a very long time, if things continued to spiral down as they were now still doing between any or all of the now-contesting factions.

The surviving heads of the yet-contesting factions ultimately decided to largely split every single person of sufficient age up as needed and as possible. And do so once several planned weddings and expected births had occurred well enough on the island for a long enough time. Of course, they then would try to each somehow retain just as many people in their factions' own respective populations as they each possibly could quite retain well enough, for all the obvious reasons. But for those various people who actually didn't decide exactly just which faction or factions they really wanted to be part of later, if they could then do so well enough, they'd each ultimately risk being assigned to some other contesting faction that they might not truly want to even be part of at all in the future.

Several planned weddings and expected births later, then, and after many more confrontations between many of the perhaps nearly 70,000 to 80,000 or so people on the entire uncharted island, the still-surviving heads of the still-contesting factions came to the largest city on the entire island, a place called Syntheria. Syntheria was in a semi-mountainous area on the island, while territory held elsewhere on the island by each faction often varied considerably between those other places elsewhere on it, in fact. Each faction held various parts of the island, with some areas being considered demiltarized areas for those who were not ready, willing, and/or able to participate in any number of battles between the various factions then present on the island.

One faction held territory mostly on the eastern coast of the island, a second held territory mostly on the western coast, two held most, if not all, of the northern coast, and two held most, if not all, of the southern coast. The faction that held the eastern coast would become known, in a very short period of time, as House Tokyo/Edo. The one that held the western coast would become known, as well, as House Kyoto. A third faction that held most of the northern coast would be known as House Sapporo. A fourth, which held most of the southern coast, would be known as House Hiroshima. As for the other two factions, who were both now seriously seeking to prevent themselves from somehow being totally exterminated by each other or at least one, if not more than one, of the other four factions, now held most, if not all, of the remaining northern or southern coasts for the island. The fifth faction held some, if not all, of the island's remaining northern coast, while the sixth held some, if not all of its remaining southern coast.

The fifth faction's resulting member families were soon either forced or allowed to seek other places to live anywhere else in the world, if they didn't actually want to be totally wiped out by any of the other factions. As were the resulting member families for the sixth faction, in time, as well. The fifth and sixth factions' still-surviving members each ultimately made their respective ways to Syntheria from the different areas they still held well enough on the island, either by choice or necessity. And they each found their ways to a neighborhood of Syntheria known as Cedar Heights. Once they made it there, they soon entered a part of Cedar Heights that was mainly devoted to matters of a religious enough nature, and had many places of worship in it. Such areas were demilitarized, quite naturally enough, for all the obvious reasons. At the very center of Cedar Heights' religious complex, there was a huge temple of some sort. In that temple that was nearly the size of Solomon's Temple, then, there were numerous chambers. The surviving members of the fifth and sixth factions eventually found themselves periodically making their own respective ways to any or all of those chambers. After which, they all generally found themselves whisked away to any number of places all over the world, somehow, wherever those places might actually be in it.

Many of those people who were trying to escape destruction by members of other factions eventually found themselves whisked away to places in Europe or North America, for instance. Others ended up elsewhere in Asia, for example, if not anywhere else as well. And after they were, they'd not likely be seen again in Japan again, or at least not for a very long time.

Members of the other four factions soon began trying to find out just where they'd gone, but all sufficiently-identifiable traces of where those people who'd been whisked away to any number of other locations elsewhere in the world weren't to be found quite well enough, somehow. So, eventually, the remaining four factions decided to abandon their hunting for those people for at least a little while, if not for a very long time, quite naturally enough.

The remaining factions eventually returned to their respective currently-held areas, after several final confrontations with each other and with several unaffiliated natives of the island. Those natives eventually forced the remaining factions to vacate those various territories on their uncharted island just off the Japanese mainland. And each of the remaining factions then left it for various areas of Japan, once the Emperor received sufficient enough notice from the natives of that island about the events that had taken place since he'd sent the followers of six brothers there to try to make peace with each other before it was too late to do so well enough.

Needless to say, perhaps, he was most certainly not at all happy about all those events that'd happened since he'd ultimately sent numerous people to that particular uncharted island to try to settle their various differences with each other well enough, of course. Therefore, he eventually barred most, if not all, future travel between the main islands of Japan and the applicable uncharted island for most, if not all, current and future members of the four still-known factions that'd sent any number of people to that very same uncharted island. Meaning, that they then normally would no longer be able to travel directly there from Japan's main islands, and vice versa. At least until the two apparently-missing factions were both actually rediscovered quite well enough, and actually rejoined with each other quite well enough, if at all possible, somehow, anyway. Most importantly and most specifically, if at all possible, somehow directly under the gigantic umbrella of one greatly-extended family among the sufficiently-known surviving descendants of all six contesting brothers and factions, for that matter. If not even longer than that.

Each still-known major House then eventually found themselves basing themselves out of various yet-unclaimed areas of Japan, as the need or desire then sufficiently arose for themselves, if and whenever possible, in fact. For instance, House Hiroshima soon claimed much of western and southern Japan from Naha on Okinawa to areas near Okayama, Himeji, Kinosaki, and Maizuru on Japan's main island of Honshu for itself, through various means, whether by subterfuge or by force of actual military, naval, or other kinds of arms.

House Kyoto eventually claimed many areas still quite near their current western border with House Hiroshima's own territories near the four just-named locations and somehow then held several different areas running from certain places somewhere between both Itoigawa and Takada right on Honshu's northern coast to places somewhere between both Hamamatsu and Osuka right on Honshu's southern coast. Which then basically delineated their own current sufficiently-held eastern border with House Tokyo/Edo's claims elsewhere on Honshu, if not entirely.

For House Tokyo/Edo's very own part of things, at that particular time in Japanese history, their own current sufficiently-held claims for their territory ran from places somewhat near House Kyoto's claims to where their own current territorial claims ultimately bordered those of House Sapporo lying roughly on a northwestern to southeastern line running somewhere between Noshiro and Odate on one end of it and between Kesennuma and Ofunato on the other end of that. North of that line, then, House Sapporo's members then basically somehow held most, if not all, of the territory then present anywhere on or around any or all of the Japanese main islands, for that matter.

Finally, for House Sapporo, their sufficiently-held territory held at the current time ran from the nearest coastline just north of Noshiro to a point somewhere on Japan's eastern coast between both Kesennuma and Ofunato even while still being on Honshu as well. So House Sapporo eventually found themselves in sufficient enough control over the northernmost parts of Honshu and all areas north of that line, more often than not, including, of course, the entire Japanese main island of Hokkaido, quite naturally enough.

After each still-known House had sufficiently enough established their effective control over the main Japanese islands just as best as they each possibly could, the still-reigning Emperor then chose several neutral Japanese locations. Those various neutral Japanese locations would all generally be where numerous battles couldn't normally be fought from now on without the full and willing consent of the applicable fighters from opposing Houses of different factions, if such battles could be somehow prevented well enough, in fact. When they chose their various locations, they chose each of them from a list of places within the respective territorial claims of each still-known major Japanese House, as submitted by each rival House.

For House Hiroshima, then, their three current Emperor-designated neutral locations were ultimately chosen as Naha, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki, at least at first, if not permanently. For House Kyoto, they were originally Osaka, Kobe, and Gifu. For House Tokyo/Edo, they were originally Hinata City, Sendai, and Sakata. And for House Sapporo, they were originally Hakodate, Asahikawa and Kushiro, for that matter. While they might still change periodically in the future, or not, each of those twelve Japanese locations were still designated as neutral cities by the then-reigning Japanese Emperor, just the same.

For most of the next twenty years, then, the still-known Houses well established themselves in their chosen territories to the best of their respective abilities, if not for all of them, in fact. However, much was still left quite unresolved indeed between them all as they each entrenched themselves in their own respective claimed territories all over and near Japan, wherever they then were each able to do so sufficiently well, somehow. Because of that simple fact, then, much conflict was eventually going to be quite inevitable indeed in the future, in due time, for that matter. Whether the near future or the distant future or somewhere in between, that was still a most definite fact that'd actually be confirmed countless times for a very long time. No matter how often and how long it took to somehow finally reconcile all six of the required factions sufficiently well with each other.

* * *

Present-Day, some time after Naru and Motoko's trouble:

* * *

Nearly three long weeks later, on Sunday, February 10, 1991, everyone from the Hinata Apartments and their most common associates went out to eat after the Archeologists' latest game against Shizuoka in the applicable amateur basketball league. Even Motoko and Naru did so, both having been ultimately freed from their respective predicaments about a week or so before that date in their own lives. The entire group eventually went out to eat at a medieval-themed restaurant of some sort, and the restaurant was in a building that looked like a palace of some yet-unfamiliar architectural sort. A hostess soon ushered everyone to a number of tables on the fourth story of the building, quite naturally enough. After which, she then let them decide just how they wanted to occupy each of those tables they'd all just been brought to by them.

Keitaro soon sat at one table with Shinobu, Rufus, and Shenali. Naru and Cyrus sat at another with Motoko and Willis. A third table had Shirai and Haitani at it with Mitsune and Mutsumi. A fourth had Moriah and Haruka at it with Bruce and Seta, along with the young triplets in three high chairs quite near it. Ema and Nyamo were at a fifth table with both Tanaka twins. Akiko and Su were at a sixth table with Akamatsu and Terajima. And a seventh table was occupied by Watsuki and Mei, along with two others that possibly attended school with either of them elsewhere in the Hinata City local area or in the Tokyo local area of Japan. Most specifically, those other two were Miwon Adachi and Mokura Seo. Seo was now college-aged, while Adachi was not yet out of high school, but would be soon enough. Meaning within 18 more months. Not only that, but Adachi and Seo were both fairly close, at least in terms of familial relations with each other. That was due to them being third cousins to each other in their respective lives, and due to being descended from the same common ancestors on their paternal sides. Their common ancestors were the same people from four generations prior, in fact.

Mei and Watsuki soon introduced Seo and Adachi to the others then with them. And those who hadn't had much, if any, prior knowledge of them soon began to get it. Some more quickly than others, of course.

Everyone soon ordered things to eat and drink as they then saw fit, and could, quite naturally enough. Several of them chose to have beef dishes and tall glasses of milk and/or juice. Others chose more fruits and vegetables than they did meat, of course. But everyone still ate at least a little meat, just the same. Even those who might not like to often eat meat, for various reasons, still did so. As for beverages, a good deal of milk and/or juices were quite often consumed as well.

Once everyone was sufficiently enough into the meal, Bruce soon said, "Moriah and I would like to share some news with several of you, if we may, along with Rufus and Shenali."

Keitaro soon asked, "What news, if we might ask, Bruce?"

"The four of us are going to marry this week, in fact. I am marrying Moriah, of course, and Rufus is marrying Shenali. We intend to marry our girlfriends in at least three or four different locations, if not more than that, and we all would really like it a whole lot if you all could and all would come with us to witness those weddings, if you all can and all want to."

"Where are those locations, then, Munro-san?" asked Shinobu.

"One such location is in Hinata City on the Apartments' grounds. The other two or three, at least, are in Israel, Scotland, and perhaps also somewhere in the United States, at least, if not anywhere else as well. However, you each may need to actually check to see if you then have valid enough passports of your very own that'd allow you all to travel to other countries for a little while, at least, of course, Shinobu-san," answered Bruce.

Shinobu nodded, and soon said, "I believe I have a currently valid passport of my own. For my parents took me to India two or three years abo, if I remember correctly enough. We went to see places like the Taj Mahal, for instance, if memory serves me well enough, during a month-long cooking competition that my parents both competed in with each other. Quite obviously enough, Keitaro has one, for he's often traveled various places in the world. Not only because of his work with Noriyasu-san, but also due to certain other circumstances I'm not at current liberty to discuss with any number of other people, for sure, Munro-san. As for any or all of the others who are here now with us, I'm not entirely sure myself about each of them, for the obvious reasons, for that matter. At least if they're primary residents of the Hinata Apartments, that is."

"Well, let's just see here, then, Shinobu-san, who might actually have ones of their own here and now," said Bruce. He soon polled everyone in their group to try and find out what their passport statuses were, if he didn't already know them well enough, of course. It turned out that every single primary resident of the Hinata Apartments had one, even Aoyama and Konno. Su quite obviously had one because of her being a non-Japanese. But it was quite surprising indeed to many now gathered together that Motoko, Mitsune, and Naru also all had valid passports that they could periodically use to travel on later, as of the present time, in their respective mortal lives. When the fact that Motoko had one such passport then became known well enough, she soon afterward found herself being questioned about why she had one.

Motoko said, "I can't reveal all the details of why I have one, but I have my reasons for having one. Reasons that I'm not currently at full liberty to discuss at this time, if ever, with you. So don't bother asking, for my honor requires that I must periodically remain silent about such certain things unless I am given liberty to speak about them before I do. Do NOT question me further about such things, if you know what's good for you, everyone, and if you can possibly ever avoid doing so at all, somehow, for sure!"

As for the others in their current group who weren't actual foreigners, it turned out that only Adachi, Taichi, both Tanakas, Watsuki, and Akamatsu didn't have currently-valid passports. But they were all due to receive them very shortly indeed from the Japanese government, after having all applied for them not too long beforehand. They were expected to receive them in no more than a few days, in fact, for that matter.

The conversation soon drifted to talk about the needs and wants for the various ceremonies that Bruce and Moriah and Rufus and Shenali were planning to marry each other in, of course. Rufus soon said, "For the one on the grounds of the Apartments, everyone will need to dress up as best as they can. In fact, that wedding is tomorrow at five pm. Our synthoids will all have to substitute in at least the next two or three upcoming scheduled game for the males, at least, if not also for the females, most likely. If not more than a week's worth of such games for both genders here and now, quite naturally enough. All of your then-needed formal outfits will be delivered to each of your respective residences sometime tomorrow afternoon if you've not already received each of your formal outfits just yet. The double wedding ceremony for us somewhere on the Hinata Apartments' grounds tomorrow will have at least 50 or so other guests besides those of us who aren't getting married tomorrow. Including our friends from Juuban, for instance, in fact. Yes, the Senshi and any number of others from Juuban will be around for the first ceremony, at least, if not for all of them, people."

"And how are we going to provide enough food and drink items for everyone who actually attends the wedding ceremony and the subsequent reception, then, Rufus-san?" asked Shinobu.

"It will be delivered already having been prepared as needed by the time you get back from school tomorrow, Shinobu-san. When you get back from school, you can check them out if you want, before you get dressed for the upcoming wedding ceremony and following reception," answered Rufus, in very short order.

"And as for security for the related event or events, then?" asked Motoko.

"Provided by many guards, both on and off the entire Hinata Apartments' grounds, courtesy of Hina Urashima and her Urashima group, in fact. Rather heavy security, in fact, for she suspects that there may potentially be quite major trouble from certain people associated with the now-disowned Shukioshi, Motoko-san. So she ultimately decided to then send at least several dozen, if not several hundred, security guards to provide heavy security tomorrow afternoon and evening and night for the upcoming double wedding ceremony and the following reception. Even though the related double wedding ceremony will actually not see her grandson married to anyone, of course, she still feels that those who have resided here and who want to get married on the grounds should have as secure and as pleasant of a wedding ceremony and reception as they possibly can, for the obvious reasons here and now. Hence the quite heavy amounts of security. Some such guards will actually be dressed as if they're just simple guests of the brides and grooms, while others will not be, in fact."

"And how long should the reception after the wedding last, then?"asked Haruka.

"We don't quite know just yet, but we do know that it will be an entirely alcohol-free event, due to the presence of many young children, at least, if not for other reasons whatsoever. After it finally ends for the rest of us, those of us who just got married will retire to our own rooms as we see fit, and proceed to do whatever then comes to mind for each of us, as best and as enjoyably as possible, of course. No matter what it is, we then will do so, quite naturally enough."

Eventually, all of the many food and drink items that the assembled group items had ordered for themselves were finished off sufficiently well, and then paid for by Bruce, Moriah, Rufus, and Shenali, at least, if not others as well. When Keitaro asked why, Rufus son said, "Because we all really wanted to treat you all just before we actually got married. As for the currently-related costs of various things here, we all actually have sufficient enough resources to then cover the overall expenses related to this particular outing well enough, Keitaro-san."

That surprised many, but Rufus said, "We already planned this entire outing before we even came here, in fact, people, to this part of Japan. Granted, certain very-unexpected things have actually happened between the time when we originally planned this outing out and now. But still, we still expected to be able to do this sort of thing when we've been doing it, in fact. We planned it out not long after we each decided to get married to each other, as the case might then actually be for each of us. Whether it was Bruce and Moriah, or me and Shenali, we all still did so, just the same. Yet, we all still know that both Cyrus and Willis, at least, are currently unattached, romantically-speaking. Even though they might have also wanted to marry at the very same time that I then did so, for all the obvious reasons, right here and right now, of course. Maybe that can still actually happen somehow. But it's still quite unlikely, for sure, you should all know by now."

Eventually, the then-assembled group left their current tables at the restaurant, and proceeded to leave it behind quite well enough. Everyone soon either went right back to the Hinata Apartments or right back to their own respective residences in the Hinata City local area, of course. Those that then currently resided on the Apartments' grounds eventually arrived there by no later than 10:45 at night, for sure. Several young women soon adjourned to the hot springs for a pre-bedtime soak and wash, while the males all went to their own respective rooms not long after getting back to the Apartments quite well enough. Those several young women who then quickly decided to spend at least some time with each other in the hot springs were then Shenali, Moriah, Naru, Motoko, and Mitsune. While Kaolla and Shinobu both chose not to participate in the upcoming soak and wash at least for a little while longer yet, for reasons only known to themselves, in either case.

* * *

Once everyone was settled well enough into the hot springs and sufficiently covered, for the obvious enough reasons, Naru asked, "Are you two afraid of what might happen tomorrow, once you retire to your chosen rooms for the rest of the night, Shenali?"

"I'm not. I've actually been waiting for tomorrow night all my life, Naru-san. It may hurt at least a little when we finally become one flesh, of course. But still, I don't really care all that much, if at all, in truth. I hope he'll be able to keep it from hurting too much when we first make love. But that's not necessarily up to either of us, you know, for all the obvious reasons."

Naru considered that for a few moments, and then asked, "Moriah-san, if you don't mind answering too much here, what about you?"

"I can't really say right now what I am thinking about tomorrow night, Naru-san. For I'm not entirely certain about various things that may or may not happen tomorrow, myself. Either before the double wedding or after it, that is. I am, however, quite certain that I am a virgin, just like Shenali, Bruce, Rufus, and many others around here most likely are. I don't entirely know myself just what to expect well enough for tomorrow night, either, for sure. But I still really do hope that whatever actually happens for us both, wherever we both find ourselves later on, it then will be just as pain-free and just as pleasant as possible for both of us, of course, just the same," said Moriah, after at least a little more time had passed for them all here and now.

Mitsune soon asked, "And what of your names, then?"

Shenali soon said, as she sipped from an often-covered cup of hot cocoa, "I am going to be taking the Bardstar name, while Moriah is going to be taking the Munro name, for a last name, as the case might then be for each of us, Mitsune-san, for certain areas of our lives. Some of them may actually still require us each to use our respective maiden names from time to time, of course. But where and when possible, I'll then be Shenali Bardstar, and Moriah will actually be Moriah Munro, quite naturally enough."

Motoko thought about that for a little while, before saying, "What's wrong with keeping your own maiden names after your marriage, Shenali-san?"

"Nothing, of course. But still, we both are going to be married, in very short order, Motoko-san. And as such, we should use our husbands' last names as our own, we both believe, if and whenever possible and appropriate enough. There most certainly may be certain times when we might actually need to use our own maiden names, of course. But we've both decided, after much discussion with both of our future husbands and after much personal silent contemplation for both of us, to use their last names as our own if and whenever we possibly can, in our respective lives. Just as I'm sure your own sister Tsuruko has still been known to do from time to time in her own life," said Shenali, not too much later, in fact.

"Yes, at least sometimes she still uses the Aoyama name in her own life, Shenali-san. But she has been using Sakagami's name more and more as time passes, unfortunately."

"And what about you? What if you marry?" asked Moriah.

"Then I will keep my name as best as I can, of course. Why would I ever want to change my last name from Aoyama, a name of honor, to another person's, if I didn't have to?"

"Even if that last name was Urashima, for instance?" asked Mitsune.

"Even if it was that last name, Mitsune, I still would prefer to keep the Aoyama name, I'm quite sure," said Motoko, in very short order.

"But is not the Urashima name higher-ranking in House Tokyo/Edo's hierarchy than House Aoyama might be in House Kyoto's, Motoko-chan?" asked Naru.

"Yes, as far as I know, it is. But still, I think I would still rather keep the Aoyama name than to take on HIS name in my life, Naru-senpai."

"There's worse things in life than a person just taking another person's last name as their own, Motoko-san," said Shenali. "Like the innumerable earthquakes that Japan has quite often had in the past, for instance. Or any number of wars, whether known of or not by most, if not all, other people, I believe, in the world's history, for sure. Listen, I know that you quite often say you don't like men at all, and that you don't ever want to be with them like your sister often is with her husband. But you're still a woman, without any doubt whatsoever at all. And God made you female for at least one reason, if not more than one, for sure. Now I, quite honestly enough, don't actually know what that particular reason is, exactly, of course. But there most definitely is still a certain reason why you now are female, just the same. Or there are certain reasons why you are what you are and who you are now. At least as the case might actually be for you now in your very own mortal life, anyway, if there's at least two reasons why you are female, that is. Same thing or things are true with many of us now on these very grounds for the Hinata Apartments, quite obviously enough, here and now."

The young women continued to soak and wash in the hot springs as they saw fit for at least an hour, in total, if not longer. And while doing so, they periodically continued to converse with each other there, quite naturally enough. The first of them to eventually leave the hot springs behind was Mitsune, and then Naru and Motoko, in that order. Which soon left just Moriah and Shenali still there with each other, for that matter.

Once the others were quite gone for the rest of the night, without a doubt, two voices were soon heard by them from inside the changing room. Of course, those two voices belonged to Shinobu and Kaolla, for the obvious reasons. Shinobu soon asked, "Are they in for the night, Moriah-san?"

"It seems so, Shinobu-hime."

"Good, then, Moriah-san. I didn't want to come in with you while they all were still in there with you. And neither did Kaolla, in fact."

"Come on in, you two, and take a load off, then, if you don't mind too much, and if you have enough time to do so well enough, then," invited Shenali. Even as she then twirled just a little bit of her now-mid-back-length blonde hair around her fingers for at least a few seconds, if not even longer than that, at the current time, in fact.

Shinobu and Kaolla soon joined Shenali and Moriah in the hot springs, quite naturally enough, here and now. Once Shinobu and Kaolla were both settled well enough in them to then suit themselves sufficiently well, Moriah asked, "What's on your minds, then, Shinobu and Kaolla, if we might ask?"

Kaolla and Shinobu remained silent for a few more moments after that, before Shinobu eventually asked, "How much longer do you plan on living with us here at the Apartments, Moriah-san, if you don't mind us asking you this?"

"At least until the end of the current academic year at Tokyo University, if not even longer than that, Shinobu-san," answered Moriah. Even as Kaolla then handed her at least a few gingerbread or sandwich cookies that Shinobu had made earlier that very same day for everyone who now lived on the Apartments' grounds well enough, for that matter. "After that, we're not yet sure of where we'll be, Kaolla-san. Whether we're still in Japan or not, after that time, we're each still not quite sure just where we'll be later on, just so you both know this well enough here and now."

"So what rooms are you two going to occupy after the wedding ceremonies that you're going to participate in this week, once you're back here well enough, Moriah-tachi?" asked Shinobu.

"We haven't decided just yet. But two of us four will certainly soon be moving into the same rooms as the other two of us four now actually occupy here for the Hinata Apartments. Meaning this, in essence, you two. Either Shenali will soon be moving into Bruce's room, or Bruce will soon move into hers. As for me, either I soon will be moving into the Bardstar Trio's current room, or Rufus soon will be moving into mine, for all the obvious reasons, as well. After we all decide just which spouses are moving out of two rooms for the Apartments, Cyrus will then get one of the vacated rooms, and Willis the other. Then several things will be moved in or out of those rooms as needed or desired, of course. Where and when possible, that is, for sure," said Moriah, as she took a bite from one of the sandwich cookies that Kaolla had just handed her mere moments before.

Shinobu soon asked, "Which two of you four do you think will be moving out of your current rooms, then?"

Shenali said, "I believe it might be me moving to the Bardstars' current room. As for Moriah, she'll probably be moving into Bruce's room, if I'm not too mistaken here, as well. Of course, I could be wrong. And everyone who's still living around here could possibly even find themselves shifted around in the Apartments, for that matter, and no longer in their current rooms. That's after two of us eventually come to vacate our current rooms, anyway. For all I know, we all could end up then having to then draw for certain room assignments that'd be in force around here for at least a little while. If not for even longer than that, Shinobu-san."

"Which means?" asked Kaolla.

Shenali then somewhat lightly and somewhat playfully teased some of Kaolla's hair for a few seconds, after Kaolla had swum up next to her in the hot springs. As she did so, she said, "That means that you might have to relocate your jungle habitat elsewhere in the Apartments' main building, at least, of course, Kaolla-san. Now I don't know just how you might be able to do that, of course. But you still might have to, just the same, if you find yourself having to move to another room in them."

Kaolla snuggled up closer and closer to Shenali as she then said those things, before saying, in response, "It might not be wise to move me from my current room in the Apartments, Shenali-san. For where I'm at is probably the safest room for me and all my machinery to be in for the entire Apartments, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. At least as of the current time in all our lives, anyway. No, I really don't think I can move, at least as long as the Hinata Apartments still exist around here as they now do. Certain others around here might actually be able to move elsewhere in them later on, mind you, safely enough. But, quite honestly, I must say, for your information here and now, I really don't think I actually can right now, if ever, somehow."

Eventually, both Shenali and Moriah left both Shinobu and Kaolla alone in the hot springs, saying that they would need to get to sleep soon, for all the obvious reasons. By that time, it was then getting close to 12:30 in the morning of Monday, February 11, 1991. Shinobu and Kaolla then both watched the two soon–to-be-married young women leave the hot springs, quite naturally enough. After which, Kaolla soon asked, "Shinobu-chan, what do you think of them getting married in at least a few double-wedding ceremonies this week, if I might ask you this here and now?"

"If that's what they really want to do, and if they can actually afford it well enough, somehow, I don't see a real problem with it, Kaolla-chan." Shinobu then quietly ate a gingerbread cookie after first dipping it briefly in a covered cup of hot cocoa, in several small bites. She and Kaolla then remained in the hot springs for just a little while longer, with perhaps minimal conversation, before they both began to get out of the hot springs with each other.

As they were both beginning to then exit the hot springs, though, and head for the nearby changing room, a good-sized whirlpool of some sort very suddenly indeed appeared in the hot springs without any warning whatsoever at all. It was a very unexpected whirlpool that was then several feet in diameter at the approximate center of the hot springs, more or less. The aforementioned whirlpool actually appeared for about thirty or so seconds, at least, but no more than a minute, before it suddenly expelled two young people holding each other by their hands as best as they each then could. One of those two young people was male, and the other female, in fact. The two still-young people that the whirlpool then quite suddenly ejected from it with a decent number of other things somehow appeared to be teenagers, at most, more or less. And those two very same young people very soon afterward landed somewhat improbably still hand-in-hand with each other. They both landed right on their own respective stomachs, and directly on top of a fairly large rock then near both Shinobu and Kaolla. Not only that, but both were semi-conscious when they both landed there, each right on top of a swimming pads of some sort that were very hastily then thrown there by both young girls.

Kaolla went to the female, while Shinobu did the same for the male. Both girls soon called out for assistance from others on the grounds in range of their voices well enough. And Cyrus, Willis, Naru, and Mitsune soon came to help them both attend to their two quite-unexpected guests, quite naturally enough. As everyone did so, Shinobu was the first to notice a gold ring on the male's left hand here well enough, in fact. She soon said, "This male's unavailable, everyone, if I don't miss my guess too much here, at all."

Naru soon asked, "How do you know, Shinobu?"

Shinobu answered, "He has a gold ring on his left hand's ring finger. It is obviously a wedding ring, even though he appears to only be roughly 18 years old at the present time." She soon showed Naru that gold ring, and Naru relaxed a bit here, after seeing it well enough.

The aforementioned gold ring that the still-unknown young male was then wearing had several garnets surrounding a scroll-like top face for the ring. The scroll-like face featured an amethyst base at its bottom. And on top of that scroll-like base, there were several dozen small diamonds and garnets, at least, if not any other kinds of precious stones as well. Most of those diamonds were placed in such a manner as to suggest a quill of some unknown sort sticking out of an inkwell. While other diamonds then marked the edges of that inkwell or formed on its front the letters CD and LW, in two different places on it, somehow. As for the now-present garnets, at least, if not for any other possibly present precious stones as well, they were inside the borders of the inkwell, more often than not, in fact. On the very outside of the ring, on one side of the ring, there then was a very stylized representation of a mountain surrounded by a circle of ten red, white, or blue five-pointed stars. On the other side, there was a very stylized representation of two Cardinal-like red birds on a baseball bat surrounded by a circle of ten very stylized miniature horse's heads.

After Mitsune eventually got a good enough look at the aforementioned ring herself, she soon said, "Whoa, this is a very expensive ring, no doubt."

"And so must the young lady's ring be," said Cyrus, once he got a good enough look at the still-unknown young woman's left hand around here at the current time.

As for the young woman's ring, it was actually made of gold as well. It was slightly smaller than the young man's ring, of course, for all the obvious reasons. It had many precious stones on it, like the young male's did, quite naturally enough. But the actual look of it was quite considerably different from his. For instance, instead of a single amethyst being at the very base of the bottom for the top face of her ring, a single garnet was at it. And that particular garnet was in the approximate shape of a mostly forward-facing horse's head with two somewhat small sapphires then showing to represent dark blue eyes for the horse now in question here quite well enough. The horse also wore a still-unfamiliar crown of some unknown sort on the very top of its own head that was actually made with several diamonds of various colors, sizes, shapes, and appearances here and now. Around the mostly garnet horse's head and the adjacent crown that was made entirely of various diamonds, perhaps dozens of mostly small precious stones, primarily amethysts or rubies, then sat. And they all generally hinted at a rather good-sized land of many very tall mountains and of much water and of often-fertile lands, more often than not, somehow. On the sides of her gold ring, then, on one side, there sat a very stylized representation of two linked and merged hearts of garnets placed just above a horse-drawn carriage. A carriage that was generally made of many small agates, when and where possible and appropriate, and which was then sitting on a moderately marbled stone bridge of some sort. Both such stylized hearts then bore letters on them, in fact. One such heart bore the letters CD on it. And the other bore the letters LW on it, using several diamonds apiece. On the other side, a small number of very stylized musical notes then generally somehow surrounded two somewhat strange musical instruments of two yet-unfamiliar sorts placed somewhat near each other, for that matter. All in all, the strange young woman's entire ring somehow appeared to be quite expensive indeed to Cyrus here and now. And it soon appeared to be that to everyone else who was currently present sufficiently enough near the two still-strange young people, quite strangely enough. At least once they actually saw that very same gold ring quite well enough for themselves as well, anyway.

Everyone soon brought them into the main room for the Apartments, and set them on couches or chairs there, as best as they then could, quite naturally enough. It wasn't long after that before they began to stir sufficiently where each of them had been placed several minutes, at least, before. And that began to happen for them both once they'd both been checked out well enough by those who'd ultimately gotten them out of the hot springs area well enough. And once they'd both been dried off as best as they then could both be dried off by those very same people, for that matter.

It took them both several long minutes after they'd both actually regained consciousness well enough to then speak here. And they both soon began speaking in a still-unfamiliar language of some sort that somehow primarily sounded like some sort of an especially unusual cross or a blend of Latin and Japanese, much to everyone's surprise. An ancient-sounding language of some sort, at least for the most part, anyway, with some traces of possible modernity now present as well. Kaolla then paid the most attention of all the other people now here with the strangers to them. After which, she eventually said, after at least a few decent enough attempts at mutually-understandable communication with them both, "They both are from a quite often-hidden land somewhere in or on the North Atlantic Ocean, more or less, it seems. Their own respective full names are, in truth, Clovidequano Dovatha, of the House Dovatha, and Lakanaya Wufazevir of the House Wufazevir, by the way. The two of them are married, and Lakanaya also uses her husband's last name periodically in her life, for that matter. He is now eighteen years of age, and she is seventeen. Both of them have actually been married to each other now for exactly two calendar years, as of today, in their own mortal lives. They married fairly young, perhaps by most people's standards nowadays, simply because that is a very common cultural practice in their nation. They both have just been speaking in their nation's most commonly spoken language. It is a very strange language indeed, if I'm not too mistaken here. And I believe that they normally have been known to call it 'Slaabinese' or something like that, if I'm actually understanding them well enough here, somehow. It seems to be somewhat similar to my own native tongue of Molmolese. Although I don't actually know just why it does, just yet, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons to me right here and right now, at least. But not entirely, mind you, everyone."

Kaolla soon was somehow able to then make it quite possible indeed for the two yet-unknown strangers to actually converse well enough with everyone else. At least with those who were then in the main living room for the Hinata Apartments, anyway. But only after first briefly going to her own room for them and retrieving at least a few things from it, for sure. She soon returned to the main room with a belt and an especially ancient-looking watch of some yet-unfamiliar sort for the strange young man then in her possession here and now. Along with a fairly strange multi-beaded and fairly ancient-looking necklace with a fairly medium-sized pendant/locket then present at its base, at least, for the strange young woman. The strange pendant/locket then had the approximate shape of an eagle-like bird of some largely-unknown sort at the necklace's base for her, for that matter. The pendant/locket now in question here was on the aforementioned necklace along with several stones of various sizes, shapes, colors, and/or appearances, by the way. Some of which were then actually precious ones and some which then actually weren't. Many of those same stones then looked quite a bit like various animals from all over the world or like various cooking utensils, for example, in fact.

Kaolla then briefly conversed with both of them here and now. And even as she also handed them both the various items that she'd just brought for each of them from her very own room, as the need and desire to do just that then struck her well enough. The strange young man soon donned the provided watch and belt, as needed and as appropriate, at Kaolla's semi-energetic suggestion here and now. And even while he was still continuing to then wear something very much like a T-shirt over a mostly red, white, and blue pair of something perhaps a lot like sweat pants. While his now-known young wife soon did the same thing with the necklace that Kaolla had just provided her with moments before. Even as she eventually also saw that the provided pendant/locket came to rest quite easily indeed on her own upper chest just above the purple and gold nightgown she'd obviously still been wearing when she and her now-known young husband had suddenly ended up in the Apartments' main bathing area some time before.

The two strangers soon began fingering the items that Kaolla had just provided them with, as the mood then struck either of them to do so well enough. By now, it was nearly 3 in the morning, Japanese local time. Clovidequano soon said, "We both are going to have to actually ask you for a room to sleep in here and now, it seems, ladies and gentlemen. Do any of you actually have a room we can both borrow temporarily, perhaps?"

A somewhat short consultation was soon carried out in Japanese between Shinobu, Kaolla, Naru, and Mitsune, before Shinobu eventually said, "Here is what we'll all do here and now, then, people. Kaolla, I now want you to sleep in Naru's room, for the rest of what's left of the overnight hours, at least. Naru, you now will need to lay out a spare futon for Kaolla, if she doesn't bring one to your room herself. Mitsune, I now want you to sleep on my fold-out couch, and watch over my room very closely. I myself will now sleep in Kaolla's own room, on a spare futon, so as to then hopefully make quite sure indeed that it actually isn't intruded upon by anyone needlessly. Our unexpected guests might actually work best for the rest of the night in your one room, Mitsune. That's seeing as you somehow happen to have one of the very best, if not the very best, bedrooms in the entire main building, it seems to me here and now, if I'm not too mistaken here and now. I'll talk to Senpai later on this morning once he's actually up well enough about our unexpected guests, of course. Grab what you actually need for at least the rest of the night from your room, Mitsune, and pull out the couch's fold-out bed, please, within the next half hour, at most, in my own room, then, okay? These two unexpected guests don't seem to want to do much more than cuddle, if even that, at the current time with each other, anyway."

"And what of us young men, then?" asked Willis.

"Go back to your current room, and say nothing about this to any of the other males here, if you actually know what's best for you well enough," said Shinobu.

"Not even Rufus?" asked Cyrus.

"Not even Rufus, for sure. For it's not really any of his actual business at the current time, at least, Cyrus-san. That's seeing as he's quite obviously getting married later on to Shenali, of course, in several double-wedding ceremonies, you know," answered Shinobu.

"And what of Kaolla and Naru and Mitsune here? How can we be sure that they won't actually talk needlessly about this situation before you can talk to Keitaro-san well enough, then, Shinobu-san?" asked Willis.

"It's quite simple, I think. If any or all of them talk too soon about it, and I then find out well enough that they've done so, each of them will face the necessary consequences of then doing so, as I might then see fit, Willis-san. Whatever those consequences might be, and whenever I choose to make them face those consequences, that is, in fact. That's supposing that they actually then deserve to face them well enough, for sure. I can be quite pleasant with them, or I can be quite mean with them, if I'd really want to be, you boys should perhaps know by now quite well indeed, if I'm not actually too mistaken here and now. At least, that's currently my very own somewhat fervent hope, at least, quite naturally enough, in my very own mortal life. But I'd still really prefer to continue being the former with any or all of them, of course, and actually not the latter, somehow, for all of the quite-obvious reasons here and now. Besides, I somehow seem to have a very strange feeling indeed that if they'd behave well enough around our two guests here, they might just find themselves much better off than if they didn't, eventually. At least while these two unexpected guests of ours are still actually here on the Hinata Apartments' grounds, anyway."

The others then with her and the two unexpected guests soon departed to carry out Shinobu's requests and/or orders here and now. After they were all gone, Lakanaya soon said, "You really love the male that you call your Senpai, I take it, Maehara-san?"

"Yes, Wufazevir-san, I do. But I can't be with him, it seems. For he may be too old for me at the present time."

"You may call me Lakanaya, or just Laka, while both of us are actually still here, Maehara-san, if you please. You also seem to know your way around a kitchen, for that matter," the auburn-haired Lakanaya soon commented, after seeing Shinobu's hands well enough for a long enough period of time here and now.

"If it is the Master's will, then you most certainly will be. If it isn't His will, then you won't, Maehara-san. Whether it's sooner than later, or vice versa, that'll still be true for the both of you, I'm quite sure, somehow," said Lakanaya, as she rested one of her hands on Clovidequano's left shoulder for a few seconds.

"How long have you known your husband in your life, if I might ask?"

"Since sometime between 1986 and 1988, I believe. I've currently forgotten the exact date at the moment, though, for some yet-unknown reason or reasons, unfortunately. And I suspect, from the way he's looking at me now, that he also has done that for at least the time being, in fact," answered Lakanaya. She said each of those things even as she then began to very gently indeed tease some of Clovidequano's thick black hair and caress his chin with her hands for a little bit here and now.

Shinobu noticed this somewhat quickly, and then asked, "If you don't mind me asking at least two or three more questions here and now, then, Laka, about what time was it back where you were just before you were whisked here?"

"Sometime around 1 in the afternoon, I believe."

"And why are you both wearing sleepwear now, then?"

"Because we both decided to take a nap for a while in our bed after getting back from church about an hour or so before, more or less, Maehara-san."

"I see. And that brings me to my next question, if I may?"

"Go ahead, Maehara-san."

"Do you live with either of your families or in a residence of your own?"

"We live with his family during the school year, normally, and with my family when there is no school. After we both finish high school, we then will live in a residence of our own, wherever that may be, Maehara-san. We're both high school juniors where we both are now, in fact. Yes, my husband is a high school junior, not a senior. That's due to his quite poor academic performance his first year in seventh grade not more than a few years before I met him. If it hadn't been for that being true for him, it's perhaps somewhat unlikely that I'd have eventually ended up meeting him, and actually going to school with him, I think." Lakanaya continued to run her hands all over his face and head briefly before deciding to move down on him to do the same on his neck and upper torso.

"Yes, I believe you're right, Lakanaya," said Clovidequano, as he soon smiled under her ministrations to his face, neck, and upper torso. "I mean, if it hadn't been for that being true, I don't think that I'd have seen you before a car with you and several others in it go off a bridge without two people in its front row of seats. If I remember correctly enough, the car landed at the bottom of some water under that bridge, and I pulled you and two others out before it was too late for you to get out of it safely enough. After which, we went to the place where I'd been heading at the time, and you stayed there with me and several others for at least one night, if not even longer than that. Eventually, after you returned to your home, I came with you, and then our relationship began. Which eventually developed enough for us to first get engaged to each other, and then sometime after that into marriage between the both of us, of course. And we've been married ever since to each other. What's more, we expect to have a baby sometime next year, at about this time, more or less."

"A year from now?"

"Yes, more or less, we do," said Lakanaya. "No, I'm not with child yet, mind you, but we both still expect to be parents by sometime around this time next year, believe it or not, Maehara-san."

Just then, Naru, Mitsune, and Kaolla returned to the main room for the Apartments. With that then done, Mitsune soon said, "Our rooms are prepared as needed now, Shinobu-chan."

"Very good, then. Proceed as directed, then. I therefore will see these two to your room, before going to both my room and Kaolla's for the rest of the overnight period, Mitsune."

"Understood, Shinobu," said all three of the now-present female residents for the Hinata Apartment, in very short order, of course. And they soon complied with Shinobu's directions. "We'll also not say a word to any of the others until you talk to Keitaro, for that matter," added Kaolla, just before she, Naru, and Mitsune then left Shinobu alone again with Clovidequano and Lakanaya for at least a little while longer.

Shinobu soon brought them both to Mitsune's room, and saw them into it well enough for a brief time, as needed, here and now. Before she left them both alone in it, she asked them, "Do you two ever take your rings off, perhaps?"

"Not generally, if we don't have to, Maehara-san. Of course, there may be certain times when we then do so, whether or not we actually have to do that. But we still normally don't do so, just the same," answered Lakanaya.

Moments later, then, Shinobu left Clovidequano and his wife alone again in Mitsune's room, and headed briefly to her own room for a few things. This, of course, was for all the obvious reasons here and now, in fact. After spending no more than a few minutes or so, perhaps, in her room, she quietly left it, and went to Kaolla's own room, as planned. Once that was done well enough here and now, Kaolla soon let Shinobu come into her room, quite obviously enough. And Shinobu quickly entered it just as quietly as she could, before Kaolla then headed off to Naru's room as needed here, for sure. Shinobu then laid out her spare futon under a tree of some sort somewhere in Kaolla's jungle-like room and quickly fell asleep under it, quite naturally enough. She was quite soundly asleep no more than two minutes, if even that, after then drifting quickly off to sleep under the tree now in question here, by the way.

* * *

Several hours later, at most, then, everyone was sufficiently up and about. Several synthoids had already been sent to various places in and around either Hinata City or Tokyo, as the case might be for each of them. For the organics that they'd temporarily be substituting for had other things that they then wanted or needed to do on the current day, in fact. And perhaps also for the simple reason that the organics generally had then decided to let their own respective synthetic representations simulate their public lives on the current day. Or at least much of them, anyway. Most especially for Naru, Mitsune, and anyone else who'd been up before Clovidequano and Lakanaya had ended up sleeping in Mitsune's room, for sure. Several synthoids for certain members of both current Hinata City amateur basketball teams went to school at any of the schools in Hinata City's local area. While certain others then went to various college institutions in either Hinata City's local area or Tokyo's, quite naturally enough. As for the two synthoids representing Haruka and Seta, for instance, they then went wherever their organic models normally went during a typical Monday, by the way, Which, in Haruka's case, was her Tea Shop, quite obviously enough. And for Seta, it was actually Tokyo University's very own Archeology Department, of course, as well.

Somehow, the entire grounds had even seen, once everyone had actually found themselves quite soundly asleep anywhere at all on the grounds or in the Tea Shop, all the then-present snow and cold weather in and around them, totally vacate the Hinata City local area temporarily. Nobody could necessarily explain it quite well, by the time that they each finally got up again. But at least some, if not many or all, of the numerous people in and around those grounds still had some possibly very strong suspicions, just the same, somehow. Most especially Kaolla, quite naturally enough. Not only that, but the generally-prevailing temperature from sometime after 3:30 or so in the early morning of Monday, February 11, 1991 in the Hinata City local area was somewhere around 60 Degrees Fahrenheit with somewhat clear and sunny skies, even, for that matter.

While the aforementioned synthoids were then occupied with simulating their organic models' lives, then, the organics began preparing the grounds as needed. At least for the upcoming double wedding and subsequent reception on them, if not for even more things than that, anyway. And quite often with the very beneficial help of certain others that Grandma Hina had quite suddenly ordered to them that very day, for that matter, here and now. The entire grounds for the Hinata Apartments were soon prepared quite well indeed for the still-upcoming events on them by no later than 1 pm local time.

Once those grounds were completely prepared as needed, and enough guards were posted as needed, all around them, both on and off them, the organics then waited for the synthoids to return from wherever they'd each spent the past several hours. Eventually, their many synthetic representations all returned from wherever they'd each been. And they all helped each of the then-necessary organics dress up as needed for the upcoming double wedding ceremony and later reception. Supposing that they each weren't already so dressed quite well enough here, in fact. Once that was then done quite well enough, the organics all quite gladly indeed returned the favor for at least some, if not all, of the synthoids, in very short order indeed. And many other synthoids of theirs then quickly went to wherever that evening's scheduled game was still due to be played between Hinata City's males-only team and yet another such team in the entire applicable amateur basketball league, for that matter.

By 4:30 pm or so, local time, the chosen Protestant Christian minister for the double wedding was then on the grounds as needed, and getting ready within ten minutes of that time, in Keitaro's own room for the Hinata Apartments, quite naturally enough. By a quarter to five, at the very latest, then, the two men were both somewhere in the very same field that Motoko and Tsuruko might often duel in periodically whenever Tsuruko visited Motoko at the Hinata Apartments, in fact. By the time that they both arrived in that particular area of the ground well enough, then, it was quite well-prepared for the entire double-wedding ceremony, at least, if not also for the following wedding reception. Once the minister arrived where he then needed to be on the Apartments' own grounds well enough, Keitaro soon took a seat on a long stone bench. Most specifically one that'd somehow just been placed somewhere not very far at all right in front of the minister's current location. Pastor Isuraeru Shefaado soon set two books on a table near him, and notified everyone now present that the double-wedding ceremony could then begin well enough.

Once he'd done that well enough in both English and Japanese, at least, Haruka then went to the tent that both young women who were still due to be married here were currently sitting patiently enough in with each other And she quickly went there along with her own synthetic counterpart, at a very brief nod from the organic Keitaro here. Both Haruka Urashimas soon came out of that tent holding the respective trains for one of the two aforementioned brides, in fact, as their future husbands each quickly took their proper places at the head of the aisle that they'd be married at. By the time that they were at the foot of that aisle with each other and the brides, Seta and his own synthetic counterpart were at the aisle's foot as well, quite naturally enough.

Shenali said, as one Seta stood near her, "I take it that you plan on standing in for my father, at least for this ceremony, in person, Noriyasu-san Beta."

"If you will permit me to, I would be glad to walk you down the aisle here, Webb-san."

Shenali thought for a moment, and then turned to Moriah briefly, before soon asking, "What do you think, Moriah? Should we actually let both Setas here then walk us down the aisle in place of our respective fathers or not?"

Moriah thought for a few very brief moments, and then said, "Noriyasu-san Alpha, you most definitely aren't a male relative of mine, for sure. But since none of my actual male relatives actually can somehow be here quite well enough, quite obviously enough, someone who's currently here will then have to walk me down the aisle here, you know. And someone else will have to do the same thing for Shenali here as well, for sure. I suppose that it therefore would be acceptable enough to me, at least, for you to walk me down the aisle, then."

"As you wish, Garedenel-san," answered Noriyasu Alpha, in very short order, in fact.

Shenali then said, no more than perhaps just a few seconds later, "Very well, Noriyasu Beta, you may walk me down the aisle as well, of course."

Both brides, their escorts, and their train-carriers soon arrived at the head of the required aisle, before both Setas eventually left the brides at the head of the aisle and stood in certain now-necessary locations, for sure. Then both Harukas took their proper places again as well.

The minister soon began to officiate the double-wedding ceremony as needed here, including the process of leading them through the reciting of vows one couple at a time, in fact. Each couple's parts of the ceremony were slightly different in places, and the same in others, quite naturally enough, just the same, though. First, he attended to the Munro-Garedenel couple, and then the Bardstar-Webb couple, whenever he actually had to do so at the current time. And leapfrogged between the two couples as needed periodically during the ceremony. For that matter.

Eventually, all the necessary vows had been recited, and the rings given and put on the appropriate enough fingers for the couples' members. But Pastor Shefaado had not yet pronounced either couple husband and wife, just yet.

Just as he was about to do so, though, several dozen people and/or various alien monsters suddenly began appearing in various places on and around the Hinata Apartments' entire grounds who weren't even supposed to be there in the first place. Once this was actually known quite well enough, then, things started to get really hectic on and around the grounds, quite naturally enough. The Senshi and their allies quickly took on the aforementioned alien monsters. While the security guards took on the humans now present as best as they then could, of course. And as they also tried to avoid being killed or drained by those monsters, for that matter, somehow.

Several dozen security guards then on the Apartments' grounds soon fell, quite naturally enough, in the now-current battle. At least in terms of them not being able to continue fighting in it at the present time, anyway. But they were all still not actually killed, quite fortunately enough. That was due to some sufficient enough assistance from several of the Senshi and/or their various allies, in several cases. Yet, some of them might have to spend at least some time in various medical facilities, just the same, once the current battle was actually over well enough. Various other civilians were also periodically hurt, to at least some degree, either by the humans or several monsters, in at least a few cases, if not many. But none of them were actually killed by those humans or monsters, either, for that matter. Especially not after at least a dozen, if not more than a dozen, cloaked and masked people quite unexpectedly indeed then showed up to help out those who actually needed help for the Hinatans and their currently-welcome guests on the grounds. People just like Cloak-san, for instance, here and now. She suddenly joined the fight along with several others then near her, and went right to work on those attacking the Hinata Apartments' grounds, whether they were human or alien monsters, in fact.

Eventually, though, the numerous attackers were all either driven off or actually killed by the various now-present Senshi, the allies of the Senshi, the non-incapacitated security guards, or Cloak-san's group of fighters, somehow. After they each were, everyone still on the grounds was soon taken care of as then needed right here and right now. Whether by Cloak-san and/or any of her suddenly-appearing companions or not, they most certainly were all still taken care of as needed at the present time, no matter who they were, if they actually then needed to be, in fact. Even Mitsune, who'd very unexpectedly indeed taken at least a few bullets to her backside while she was trying to get away from a monster that had been heading towards her and Shinobu, was then taken care of as now needed by Cloak-san and others, of course. Mitsune had been trying to protect Shinobu here, by the way, and had taken at least a few bullets for her, as a result.

Cloak-san had actually fought off several other alien monsters and/or various humans that'd then been seeking to get after both Naru Narusegawa and Motoko during the entire battle. For the just-ended battle had somehow then actually led her quite near them both, even while it was then still in the process of being fought both in and around the entire Hinata Apartments' grounds. She somehow had actually ended up around them when several monsters and humans had ultimately converged on both Naru and Motoko somewhere on them. And she'd very suddenly indeed found herself soon defending them both very fiercely indeed as a direct result of that specific fact, at least as of that particular time in the now-ended battle's course of activities. Motoko's sword had ultimately been broken in the battle not very long before, in truth. But it might still be at least somewhat, if not totally, repairable as then needed if it wasn't actually broken or shattered too easily or too seriously, somehow, though. Cloak-san, after suddenly seeing this particular fact quite well enough, soon wreaked fairly great havoc on those numerous monsters and/or humans who'd then been seeking to actually either hurt or kill both Motoko and Naru Narusegawa somehow. By the time that she was sufficiently done with them all here and now, not even a single one of THOSE various assailants still actually lived. And at least some, if not many, of them had even been destroyed by Cloak-san, for that matter, as Cloak-san then actually had felt the real need or real desire to destroy them here and now well enough. But Cloak-san still took at least some, if not many, hits from those various attackers here and now, quite naturally enough, of course. None of those hits left injuries for Cloak-san that actually were life-threatening for her, in fact. But at least some, if not many, of those very same hits she'd taken in defense of Motoko and Naru still actually left certain injuries. Certain injuries that'd perhaps then still take at least a little while to heal, if not even longer than that, for her in her very own mortal life, just the same, somehow.

After everyone was dealt with as needed and as possible on the grounds, whether human or alien, and the Senshi and their allies somehow restored the Apartments' entire grounds to just how it had been right before the unexpected battle. And, then, the previously-interrupted double-wedding ceremony soon resumed. That done, Pastor Shefaado quickly pronounced both couples married, as he'd been just about to do when that very same battle had suddenly begun without any warning of any kind whatsoever. Especially at the urging of those who currently resided on those grounds, in fact, for all of the obvious reasons here and now, for that matter.

A few minutes or so later, at most, then, the planned wedding reception quickly began for all of the currently-present people still on the grounds, quite naturally enough, here and now. And it lasted for at least a little while, before both new married couples' members eventually found themselves quite occupied as then desired and as then appropriate with each other. The Munros ultimately holed up in Bruce's room, while the married Rufus and Shenali did the same in her room, for that matter. After which, neither married couple's members were actually seen again well enough before the following morning, at the very earliest.

While the two married couples were then otherwise occupied with each other, many others decided to dance with each other on a rather large dance floor made up of several parts brought to the grounds for the duration of the wedding-related events by the Senshi and their allies somehow, without the Hinatans's knowledge well enough, in fact. Several people had to change into certain dresses, suits, or tuxedos, most likely, though, before a dance on that floor eventually began later that very same day or night, quite naturally enough. Including Mutsumi, Naru Narusegawa, and the other primary Hinata Apartments' residents at the current time, of course. Not only that, but all the dresses for the primary female residents were the same ones that Keitaro had ordered for them, for that matter.

Keitaro was in a mostly black suit with an orange mask, yellow edges to the lapels of the suit, and a cardinal red cummerbund, for his part of things here and now. Now on his own feet here were a pair of mostly black formal-style dancing shoes that also had somewhat yellow-colored laces, orange soles, and red trim wherever then possible for those shoes of his. They looked somewhat spiffy indeed, for that matter, in fact.

Shinobu, for her own part, was in a mostly purple party dress that now fell roughly down to the very middle of her shins, more or less. It was also a very modestly-cut dress, to be completely honest here and now. None of her chest was visible at all through the front of the dress, seeing as she was still quite young, most likely, in her own life, of course. And at least two or three dozen, if not even more, assorted small stylized things were also somehow present on it mostly in pink and medium blue. Those things were generally quite reminiscent of stuffed animals, cooking utensils, or art supplies, as they were on it mostly near its hem, for that matter. Also, a mostly pink sash that she was wearing on it ran from her left shoulder to her right hip, which was fringed with purple and medium blue lace on its edges. The lace on her sash flanked several different somewhat stylized cooking implements in various colors that were then on its front, by the way.

Naru, for her own part, was in a mostly saffron yellow and burgundy dress with a heart-shaped semi-translucent mesh cutout in the front of it that revealed a decent amount, but not too much, of her upper chest. The aforementioned dress fell down to somewhere around her knees, more or less, for that matter. A pair of moccasin-like sandals mostly in brown with mostly burgundy straps and mostly saffron yellow soles and trim were also present on her feet. A many-beaded necklace with mostly burgundy, saffron yellow, and brown beads in various sizes, shapes, and appearances then hung down quite gracefully from her well-formed neck, with a moderately large heart-shaped bead of burgundy at the very base of the somewhat beautiful necklace, by the way. The back of the dress was then mostly backless down to somewhere just past the middle of her back. And three moderately narrow straps also ran diagonally across her back from both of her own shoulders. The straps for that dress were placed in such a manner to make it so they then crossed three times above her waist, where and when necessary and appropriate enough. From nearest her neck to nearest her arms, the straps went brown, saffron yellow, and burgundy. From top to bottom, for those various straps, then, the aforementioned straps crossed as follows: brown, saffron yellow, and burgundy. A mostly saffron purse with burgundy hearts then completed Naru's current look here and now.

Motoko's dress was mostly crimson and white, and it was a sleeveless halter-type dress at the very top. It left her shoulders bare, at the present time. At least for the most part, it did so, though not entirely, anyway. Not only that, it was fairly loose below the waist to allow somewhat free movement for her, but not so loose as to potentially allow others to see under it if she didn't want them to do just that at all. It generally fell to somewhere near her ankles, more or less, come to think of it well enough here and now. It also had a fully-covered back below and inside her shoulders, by the way. Where there were then white areas sufficiently present on the dress, there actually were several roses and/or other kinds of flowers in crimson, and vice versa. Also, there were several dozen stylized martial arts weapons of various kinds present on the dress in various places all over it. And those martial arts-related designs were mostly, if not entirely, just in royal blue, for that matter. It fit her quite well indeed, and she was somewhat pleased with its look on her. It wasn't too feminine-looking, but it wasn't too masculine-looking either, as well. Which then made many people quite happy here and now, quite naturally enough. Even her, to some degree, in fact.

Mutsumi's dress was a jumper-style dress, with the dress being mostly lime green for its main areas, and the sleeves being mostly tan, for theirs. Stylized turtles and watermelons were also present from time to time near the edges of the dress, especially near its roughly knee-length hem. The dress was semi-loose on top, but not too loose, so as to allow her better coverage of her chest, if she so wished for it to be better covered. The dress's lower half was demarcated by a belt mostly in jade green, and it bore many stylized turtle and watermelon-like designs on it, for that matter, in various colors, where and when possible. Mutsumi also wore a mostly tan cape tied with a yellow ribbon around her neck, and several more turtles and watermelons were present along the edges of that cape as well. Her look was completed with a pair of mostly lime green loafer-style shoes that had tan trim and soles to them, for that matter.

As for Mitsune, she now wore a four-strapped sheath dress with roughly knee-high side slits that was mostly bronze and white in color. The dress, which perhaps bared just about half of her upper chest also bore at least some, if not substantial, vine-like patterning mostly in lavender in various areas of the very well-fitting dress, where and when possible and appropriate enough for her. Along with several mostly bronze and white fox-like designs all over it, come to think of it well enough, here and now. Even on both straps leading down to the rest of the mostly backless, but not necessarily sideless, dress from each of her shoulders, for that matter, in fact. Some very stylized fox-like multi-part stud-style earrings, a medium-sized mostly lavender purse, and an especially expensive and ancient-looking pair of mostly bronze and lavender semi-translucent crystalline glass slippers completed her current look here and now.

As for the main inventor around the Hinata Apartments, Kaolla Su, she wore a dress that was mostly red and brown in color, but not entirely. It somewhat resembled, though not entirely, either an Indian sari or a typical ceremonial dress for her own home nation of Molmol. However, more of her was covered at the present time than would normally be covered by many ladies then wearing either type of attire in situations like this one. That was primarily, if not entirely, due to the current presence of several Westerners on the Apartments' grounds at the current time, quite naturally enough. Her dress was very much like Shinobu's actually was here and now, for all the obvious reasons. At least in terms of its very own basic style and basic cut, anyway. If not in any other sufficiently possible terms of any kind or kinds whatsoever at all, for that matter. But it still had several fairly unique and fairly stylized designs all over it that were much more reminiscent of Kaolla Su here, of course. Designs such as various mechanical-type devices, bananas, and elephants, to name just a few of them here and now, in fact. A pair of red and gold multi-strapped sandals then completed her own current look quite well indeed, somehow. This soon proved to be much to the somewhat great surprise of many people who then still present on the Hinata Apartments' entire grounds, ultimately.

Not too much later, then, everyone else soon found themselves actually dancing with various other people on the dance floor from time to time. And they often did so as the mood or need for them then actually arose for each of them here and now, of course. Keitaro soon danced with all of his primary tenants from time to time, even Motoko, believe it or not.

Motoko very unexpectedly showed Keitaro and many others that she actually knew how to waltz quite well indeed, during one of her turns dancing with Keitaro at the present time. However, she danced more with Willis than any other male then at the dance. For they quite often found themselves both somehow ending up in each other's arms as they each periodically danced at the dance, whether willingly or not, on both their parts, in fact.

Eventually, though, the still-current wedding reception finally had to end, for all the obvious reasons right here and right now. Once it then drew sufficiently enough to a real and definite close on the Hinata Apartments' entire grounds, many other people eventually began quite quickly leaving them as then needed and as then appropriate here and now. And they all very soon afterward headed back to wherever they'd each come to the double-wedding ceremony and the subsequent reception from quite some length of time earlier.

After all the still-recent wedding-related guests had ultimately vacated the grounds well enough for the rest of the night, at least, then, everyone else soon went to work either clearing up the detritus from their earlier presences on the grounds, or they went to bed. Most specifically, the organics all went to their very own beds, in very short order indeed. Each of them soon did so, even while their very own respective synthoids all then went right to work on actually cleaning up all the current trash and numerous other items left anywhere out of place on the grounds earlier, in fact.

And even while the organics all slept in their own respective beds, the still-present synthoids all generally spent much of the still-current overnight period quite efficiently indeed cleaning up the entire Hinata Apartments' grounds, quite naturally enough. Though they didn't actually take call of it in the process of doing just that, for sure. They all ultimately somehow finished cleaning them all up as it was then necessary and appropriate for them to be cleaned up quite well enough by 5 o'clock the following morning. That then was actually the case for them all, somehow, at the very latest, in any case at all.

* * *

After that happened quite well indeed, the synthoids all soon returned to their own respective storage areas on the entire grounds. They each did this here and now for at least a little while, in order to sufficiently recharge themselves and/or to do whatever else they now each had to do in them all. If not even longer than that, in fact. They then remained in each of those areas for at least two hours, but no more than just about three hours, as they were each then able to do so quite well enough. Some of them eventually left those areas much sooner than others, for the obvious reasons, while certain others still did not.

It wasn't too much longer before all the organics and synthoids still on the entire grounds were again assembled together with each other sufficiently well. The organics soon sent off their synthoid counterparts to continue simulating the organics' real lives, wherever and whenever necessary. Once all the synthoids had been given their various orders for at least the current day, if not for even longer than that, the organics decided to spend the day doing various things all over the Hinata City or Tokyo local areas as then needed or then desired. Some of them even actually snuck away from time to time to do certain very private things with each other, in various places, of course. But most if them still did not do such things, for the obvious enough reasons, during it.

Eventually, the synthoids briefly checked in with their respective organic counterparts, as the need for them to do just that actually then arose for any or all of them later on, somehow. After they each did so at least well enough to suit the organics sufficiently well, the organics soon gave them further information and/or orders as needed and/or desired here and now, inc. The organics then spent at least a little while longer just doing whatever else then came to their minds, no matter what it was. And they each did those various things as the need or desire ultimately struck any or all of them to do those various things, for that matter, for sure.

By the time late evening finally rolled around well enough for everyone now on the grounds, the organic residents all had begun packing for a fairly short trip to at least a few, if not several, other places in the whole world. Even the four-just married people, for that matter, still did so right here and right now, quite naturally enough. That was supposing that they then weren't otherwise quite occupied with each other as necessary and appropriate enough, of course, every so often. They all spent at least a little time, if not at least a good length of time, in packing for that very same trip, before they'd all then fly the following morning, which would be Wednesday, February 13, 1991, for sure. Their designated flight's plane would depart from Japan, and head for Israel, the following morning. And they'd all be on a plane for El Al Airlines, in truth, when they then flew on it.

It didn't take any of them all of the overnight period of time to somehow finish packing all of the necessary things for their imminent trip to various places all over the world, in fact. And most especially not after several of their respective synthoids even helped them with doing so well enough, for that matter Once they were all packed as needed here and now, they all soon retired to their designated or chosen sleeping/storage areas for the rest of the overnight period anywhere at all on the Apartments' entire grounds, of course.

The following morning, by 9 am local time, the entire grounds was completely empty except for several dozen synthoids left behind to take care of the place in the prolonged absence of the organics and several other synthoids. Several other synthoids went about the business that all the organics had quite often been known to actually go about before in their own respective mortal lives. While still many others then maintained the entire grounds as needed and as possible, both in their absence and the absence of all the applicable organics here and now, in fact.

Twelve hours later, more or less, just as those currently from Hinata City were clearing Israelite Customs well enough, the last of the still-absent synthoids returned to the Hinata Apartments' grounds for the rest of the night, quite naturally enough. After which, they eventually all found other things to do with each other, for that matter. No matter what they were, if they really wanted to do anything at all with each other, somehow, in fact.

While their synthoids were therefore so occupied, then, the Hinatans or pseudo-Hinatans each soon found themselves various things to do and/or things to see in the late afternoon for the Jerusalem local area. Which they then did and/or saw for at least a little while, before they eventually decided to hole up in the Garedenel family's residence somewhere in the middle of Jerusalem for the rest of the fast-approaching night. Moriah's own family lived in many of the apartment suites now present on the twelfth floor for The Garden of Eden Apartments, in fact. For her own extended family was fairly large, being an immediate family of both her parents and twelve children for her parents. Not to mention there also currently being nearly twice as many uncles, aunts, cousins, spouses, sons, and daughters, for her and her eleven siblings, in truth. Moriah, of the twelve children for her parents was the sixth daughter and the tenth child for her parents, who were now in their middle to late sixties, with only two boys behind her in her immediate family.

Moriah's nine older siblings were all married with at least one already-born child each for themselves, if not more. Her oldest two siblings had already had four each with their own respective spouses. And two more of them were expecting more children for themselves within the next few months, at the very most. Most of them were no longer still living, for all the obvious reasons, in her parents and younger siblings' apartment suite, of course. But they all still did actually live on that same floor for the apartment building that they were now living in, just the same.

When they arrived at her immediate family's apartment suite on the twelfth floor of that building, then, Moriah briefly conversed with her parents and her younger brothers. The conversation was soon over, and then Moriah said, when she came out again to meet with her friends and associates from the Hinata City local area, "Bruce is going to spend the night with me in my room, of course. The rest of you will be assigned to other rooms in our apartment as needed and as appropriate enough. Horseplay is strictly forbidden, however, beyond reasonable limits, as well. Note this quite well indeed, here and now, Kaolla-san. Any needless damage caused to anything at all in our suite will result in everyone being forced to leave this suite and find other lodgings while we are all still here in Israel. Except for me and Bruce, that is, for the obvious reasons. Not only that, but Kaolla-san's country will be billed heavily for any and all resulting needless damage caused by one of their nationals, for that matter. My parents are too old to be able to react quickly in many cases if something were to happen that was of a sufficiently major nature, for sure. Hence the previously-stated prohibition against unreasonable enough horseplay while you're all still here. Not only that, but they are both often very serious about many things. My father is even old enough to have actually fought in the War for Israelite Independence, back in 1948, believe it or not, just so you all know this well enough here and now. And he fought in all the wars between 1948 and 1973, before ultimately being forced to retire from active service with combat units of the IDF due to several injuries he suffered during the Yom Kippur War, people. So I therefore expect each and every single one of you to fully comply with the General's current wishes about proper conduct for guests while you all are still staying here with us in our apartment suite."

Moriah soon escorted her now-present friends and associates to various rooms in that suite as she then needed to do just that well enough. Once that was done sufficiently well here and now, she soon holed up with Bruce in her old room, and they were not seen again for the rest of the night. Not even while she was then periodically giving her new husband plenty of things as still-early birthday gifts of various kinds. And even while Shenali herself was also in the process of giving her own still new husband Rufus plenty of on-time birthday gifts of various kinds as well, for that matter.

As for the other two Bardstar triplets, they soon found themselves playing cards with Motoko and Mitsune. For Naru had quickly decided to turn in for the night, not long after they'd all gotten to Moriah's for the rest of it, in fact. The quartet soon found themselves playing Uno, and Motoko eventually asked, "Cyrus-san, what do you think was the main reason why the Americans won the war against Spain in the 1886-1891 Spanish American War? If not the only reason?"

Cyrus thought for a while, and then answered, "Because America was much more industrialized at that particular time in world history than Spain was then, Aoyama-san. Also, America was much more technologically advanced than Spain was, which helped later, after Russia decided to attack Canada some time after that war ended. Your own country of Japan also lost control of several of your once-held territories in various areas of the entire Pacific Ocean, including the Hawaiian Islands, by the end of it, due to being on the losing side in that war."

"Not to mention much larger in area than Spain was, right?" asked Mitsune.

"Correct, Konno-san. Sure, Russia was quite big, as it still is, but it wasn't quite as unified as a national people as either Canada or the United States each were while Frederick Douglass still served our country as its President, for sure. While we may not be as homogenous of a society as you Japanese often are, we still have certain advantages being largely heterogenous as a society, more often than not, I think. Your own nation was still coming out of its quite-substantial isolation of centuries, if I remember world history well enough here and now. But that eventually changed, and led to the way your country now is, of course. True, many things perhaps aren't necessarily just as peaceful and just as awe-inspiring as they might have once been in your country. But your people have still also gained many very beneficial things in the last 90-odd years since the actual end of that war that Canada and the USA fought with you and Russia so many long years ago, just the same," said Willis, a little while later.

"And what do you two think of exploring outer space, then?" asked Motoko.

"A worthwhile pursuit, I think, because we Bardstars all strongly do believe that there very well might just be sentient enough life out there somewhere in at least one place, if not more, elsewhere in the entire Universe. Whether it may be in this particular solar system of ours or not, we all strongly still believe in the possibility that there just might be, somehow, actual sentient enough life elsewhere in the Universe. Whether it's of a sufficiently organic nature or not, for sure, we all still believe very strongly indeed that might actually be the case somehow in this Universe of ours," answered Cyrus.

Mitsune considered this for a little while, before she then asked, "And what do you think of the often-proposed idea of time travel, then, boys?"

"Not likely possible, under normal standards, at least not with most, if not all, current technology, Konno-san. It is much more likely that the Moon will be colonized within the next twenty to thirty years, I think, than it is for time travel to be possible sufficiently well and safely enough, at least, within the next century. And most definitely, I really don't think such a possibility will arise under normal enough circumstances using any conceivable enough technology, within the next half-century, even, for that matter."

They continued to converse with each other quite often even as they all still played several games of Uno on the current night. They even discussed their own respective personal thoughts about space shuttles and space stations, for instance, every so often, with each other. Motoko was still somewhat skeptical about the practicality, for example, of space travel and exploration, of course. But she still had to concede that there were at least some benefits to such things, just the same. And she did so even if she didn't really want to, for various reasons of her own in her very own mortal life, in fact.

After they all eventually decided to stop playing several hotly-contested games of Uno with each other at the current time of local night, they all soon retired to certain areas of the then-applicable apartment suite. And they were all quite soundly asleep in each of them by no later than 11:45 pm local time, at the very latest. for sure. They all remained quite soundly asleep then in those very same areas until at least 7:30 in the morning, Jerusalem local time, for that matter, quite naturally enough. If not even longer than that, for that matter.

As they all then slept, at least a few dozen, if not many more, very mysterious figures began very secretly indeed assembling together with each other. Those figures all did so, in fact, on the 80th floor of a nearby roughly 240-story office building that was itself no more than just a few blocks away from where they all now slept. Among them was Cloak-san, as a matter of fact. And all of them then were at least cloaked, if not also masked. Even as no light whatsoever somehow actually showed from various windows for the 80th-floor fairly large conference room of sorts that they were all now in, for that matter, right here and right now. Most specifically, there were a few dozen beings of various sizes, shapes, and kinds, who were then present with each other in that conference room of sorts, on the southeastern corner of the 80th floor in that office building, by the way. Many of them were sentient, and many of them were not. Also, not all of them were actually what most people would normally call organic beings, for sure. About 80 percent of them were, perhaps, but not much more than that, in any case at all at the current time.

Why they were all right there and right then, only they and certain other now-absent beings currently knew quite well enough, somehow. But, still, not a single one of the current travelers who'd just flown with each other from Japan to Israel currently knew of them secretly meeting with each other now in that eighth-floor conference room of sorts, for sure. If any or all of them would actually come to know of them doing so well enough, somehow, anyway.

* * *

I do not know yet just what the next chapter holds in store for everyone in the story just yet, but perhaps it will reveal at least a little more about Cloak-san and how she fits into this story better than has already been revealed. What do you all truly hope to see in at least the next chapter, if not any other future chapter, for this story, if at all possible, then, people? Who do you each really want to see more of in the next and any actually following chapters? Who do you think Cloak-san is, and why do you think she is who she is? Don't forget to review any or all of the previous chapters, if and whenever you feel the need or desire to do just that, to better come up with your own respective ideas about potential future events, et cetera, for this story, at least, then, people.

I suppose I'd best close this and begin to get back to work on this story and its future chapters, in very short order, then. Remember, I would really love to get at least a few, if not a lot, more quite clean, quite courteous, and quite constructive reviews for it, quite naturally enough, if and whenever possible, of course, everyone. I therefore will await any and all potentially future such things from you all. And even as I continue to work just as best and just as hard as I possibly can do just that on this particular story, at least, quite obviously enough, for sure. Until later, then, everyone, TUS out!


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